Observation
by coolygirl5130
Summary: Marinette has a means of contacting Ladybug? How could Adrien ignore such a gifted horse in the mouth? He was no Peeping Chat, but keeping his eyes and ears out near her house may be just what he needed to catch his Lady. (Slight AU. Chapter 1-4 have been re-edited)
1. Ch 1: Lucky Connections

Whelp, I'm back! ...For now, anyway. This is my first Ladybug and Chat Noir rp, though I have a lot of ideas written down in my phone, so expect a few of these popping up in the near future! Or sometime in the future. ...Probably.

Disclaimer: I own _squat_! If I did, Marinette/Ladybug would have a bigger appearance change (like Chat/Adrien) so that it would be more understandable as to WHY nobody has figured out her identity! Plus more MariXChat moments. X3

 **Observation**

 _Marinette had a means of contacting Ladybug!? How could Adrien ignore such a gifted horse in the mouth? he was no Peeping Chat, but keeping his eyes and ears out near her house may be just what he needed to catch his Lady._

 _OlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlO_

 **Chapter 1: Lucky Connections**

" _Seriously_ girl, the Ladyblog has been bombarded with requests for another interview with Ladybug as of late," Alya explained. "Even Chat has been requested."

Alya, Marinette, and a few others sat at their tables early that morning. Marinette was not only on time, but actually early for once, even if she was a little exhausted from yesterday's akuma attack. Chloe and Sabrina were also early; and although the blond was busy flipping through a fashion magazine, she kept her head slightly turned to listen in. They _were_ talking about her favored hero, Ladybug, after all.

Marinette wasn't paying much attention to either girl at the moment. She was too preoccupied trying to finish up the remnants of her homework she had been too busy to do the night before. It was due today and she was only halfway through. Even Adrien and Nino's arrival went unnoticed.

Alya continued talking away, Chloe stepped in with some snide remark that had Marinette's name in it, Alya shot some defensive comment back about her friend and Ladybug, and that was that. All background noise. A distant buzz. ...Until Adrien's beautiful voice reached her ears. His even more beautiful face not far from her own.

"Is that true?"

That had been her interruption. One that had her nearly jumping out of her skin looking like a sun-burnt tomato. At least she wasn't drooling... _Yet_.

"Wh-what?" She asked, fumbling with her words a bit. "I-is...is what true?"

He was _so_ _close_! She felt hot around the collar and her palms started feeling sweaty. She now keenly aware most of the class was starring at her either in surprise, awe, or disbelief. ...Clearly she had missed something.

Adrien did not look the least bit upset that she hadn't heard him clearly. His eyes shined with excitement and the etchings of a soft smile graced his lips making the girl's heart melt. "I asked if it's true you could get in contact with Ladybug?"

She nearly choked on her own spit. "W-WHAT!?" Marinette bolted up from her seat and looked to Alya for some kind of explanation before she glanced back at her crush. "I-I don't know what you're t-talking about! I've never called her or anything!"

"Don't be so modest, Girl! Of course you do. You got a hold of Ladybug for a private interview for me that time you thought you accidentally deleted one of my videos, remember? She told me you were the one who set the whole thing up. Plus there was that other time in the park with Stormy Weather, and you said you helped with Evillustrator." Nathaniel fidgeted a bit somewhere behind them, keeping whatever he was drawing hidden. "And of course about the _other_ video..." Alya grit out, vaguely.

After the incident with Volpina, Ladybug had made a pit-stop at Alya's house to discuss the removal, of Lila's interview. Even if Marinette felt guilty about being the reason the new girl became akumatized, she couldn't just let Lila sully Ladybug's name in the future, or put herself in danger with her lies about being tight with the superhero-or superduo if she went so far. At least Ladybug had been nice enough to ask her number one reporter from calling Lila out on the lie. Alya wasn't exactly thrilled with being tricked, but she was doing well so far to hold back her sour attitude over the whole incident. She was certainly good at distracting Lila from the topic whenever the redhead asked about the video. Even if Lila still hated Ladybug, the girl was a constant seeker of attention.

Lila didn't look very pleased with the current situation given her last encounter with the heroine. Add in the fact that Adrien was paying attention to a girl other than her at the moment and it was her own personal invite into the conversation.

"I _highly_ doubt Marinette has Ladybug on speed dial. Ladybug isn't exactly the _nicest_ person..."

This seemed to cast some doubt on the matter of contacts, though most ignored the latter comment with their own experiences; something Marinette was grateful for on both accounts. She did not need to be the target of the next akuma attack.

"E-exactly!" she said with a nod. "I was just lucky to run into her all those times. And with the interview, I simply ran all over Paris to find her. She must have thought my panic had to do with an akuma, so she dropped in. Just lucky," she repeated more firmly just as Ms. Bustier entered to begin class.

Adrien seemed a little disheartened as he turned back around, shoulders slumped and a small frown on his face. Noticing this, Alya whispered to Marinette just loud enough for him to overhear. "I know that's not true. Off the record, Ladybug talked quite fondly of you as if you were secret buddies. Maybe she knows you outside the suit? Or maybe you've got your own, personal, guardian ladybug?"

"And _if_ she does, _I_ wouldn't know," Marinette said more tensely, trying her best to focus on her homework and not he friend's suspicions. Curse her past self for trying to play up her own popularity! Alya was far more perceptive than Chat!

In front of the two girls, Adrien had leaned forward with his fingers laced together in front of him as if he were paying close attention to the lesson. In his head, he was anywhere but in class. Alya's comments about Marinette and Ladybug had interested him. Could she really have some kind of connection to his Lady? Ladybug knew rather quickly about Marinette's date with the Evillustrator. Could she have gone to check on his classmate? Ladybug was also quick to show up in akuma attacks near the school or whenever Marinette was near. Maybe she really was a guardian ladybug to Marinette...

This was something he could not pass up.

A Chat-like smirk tugged at his lips, hidden behind his hand. Oh, what a wonderful plan indeed.

 _OlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl_ _OlOlOlO_

 _There we go. A bit short, but most of my first chapters are. Hope it at least caught your attention as I have a lot planned for later chapters._


	2. Ch 2: Bullet to the Head

Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Also, special thank you to deebeth89, fandomflier15, and liker for letting me know I was spelling her name wrong. I fixed chapter 1 so it should be good now. Can't believe I did that. X3 I'm an idiot. I'll try to keep the paragraphs short, though some may be a bit long.

Also, thank you to saberstorm. I have much planned as his infiltration of her room will not be a one-time thing. ;) Expect close calls, unintentional flirting, and accidental theft of _questionable_ items. And if you love the Wile E. Coyote theme, check out "The Villain." Good movie with (young) Arnold schwarzenegger, Kirk Douglas, and Ann-Margret. Old but very funny.

And thank you to LadybugLover21 for:

"UHDKKJBXFJHDNBKJWDMNBDWKJHWNUKJHWEBEWJHKNUKJEHUWKJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJLS"

Not sure what it, means, but thank you anyway? :3

Observation

Chapter 2: Bullet to the Head

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl

Much of the school day had gone by without a hitch. Both Chloe and Lila had tried for Adrien's attention before lunch. Both attempts were politely and subtly brushed off one way or another. Being constantly grabbed by Chloe was bad enough, but for her bad habits to have rubbed off onto Lila was not a good sign. As long as Adrien wasn't in the room, they were tolerable of each other. Put him in, and all hell broke loose. That was one cat-fight he wanted no part of.

Upon hearing his childhood friend call out to him from the floor above, Adrien made a quick sidestep behind the stairs. Stealthy! Just like a ninja. Now if only he could make shadow clones...

He heard her pass by, complaining to Sabrina of how her ' _Adrikens_ ' would always vanish at the _worst_ of times. It was a little surprising Plagg hadn't come out to tease him on this per usual. Not that he was complaining about the silenced kwami. He let out a sigh of relief when all was quiet.

"Wha-cha doing?" Asked a voice by his ear.

The sudden voice had him jumping out of his skin. The loud thunk and flash of hot, white pain clouded his senses and he balled up, clutching his poor head. Now he knew why Plagg had been quiet!

"Oh my gosh, Adrien, are you okay? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

Lacking in personal space, Lila had at some point snuck up behind him while he was hiding from Chloe. The blond rubbed the back of his head and stood up, waving his hand around to say he was fine. Nevermind the tears in his eyes from when he bit his tongue.

"We should go to the nurses office and have that bump checked out! Don't worry, _I'll_ escort you in case you feel faint or dizzy," she suggested, gently taking his arm as she stepped in closer. Something round and squishy pressed against his arm as well, and he froze, trying not to focus on _what_ it was.

Adrien held his breath and tried to lean back, but another-more gentle-bump to the head prevented further retreat. "A-actually, I'm fine. I've had worse injuries before. Besides, I was on my way to eat with some friends." Her smile fell a bit. "I don't want them to worry about where I've gone to. Marinette especially worries."

"O-oh," she said softly, giving him a sad look followed by a pout.

' _Oh God, not that. Please don't...'_ The pang of guilt over something he may have said surfaced. Why did he have to be so sensitive to such things?

"B-but if you want, you can join us?" Not exactly a request. More like he was trying to worm his way out of a problem he had blindly walked into.

Like the flip of a coin, she was happy again. " _Really_!?"

It was certain Lila wanted attention, so-much-so that she would lie to get it. It had come across to him as loneliness. A feeling he was familiar with all too often. He had already forgiven her for lying about her connection to Ladybug, her heritage to a miraculous user, and her lie about being a hero. He even forgave her for pretending to use Adrien Agreste as a hostage to get Ladybug's earrings-a happening that showed LB's unusual concern for his alter-ego's well-being. All-in-all, Lila just wanted friends...

Adrien smiled at her, "Yeah, of course! The more the merrier." He hoped the others would be okay with it as well. He wasn't sure if he had just dodged a bullet or shot one.

Being that it was a lovely summer afternoon, the group had chosen to take their lunches to one of the larger trees outside where the partial shade and cool breeze kept them from overheating. Nino sat beside his girlfriend, swapping a few food items with her and Marionette who sat to Alya's left. There were perks to having a girlfriend whose mother was a high-class chef and a friend whose parents owned a popular bakery.

"Peas and carrots?" He offered one such trade.

"Uh-uh. Not even I would trade something for those." Damn. Marinette?

The raven shook her head, "Sorry, Nino." Double damn. "But I'll give you a croissant all the same?"

"Marinette, you're the bomb!"

"I know I am," came her smug remark and puffed out chest.

"Hey guys!" They looked up to see Adrien, sheepish smile on his face, a hand scratching the back of his neck, and a grinning girl glued to his arm.

"Oh no," Alya whispered under her breath. Her friend had been doing _so_ well as of late to have actual conversations with her crush. Even the stuttering had quieted down to some extent. "Mari?"

But Marinette was already gone. Her eyes were wide and dilated as dread washed over her at the scene. Adrien's attitude and the all-to-happy girl clinging to him like...like a _girlfriend_ or something!?

As per usual, her mind was running a mile a minute; filtering all the possible and terrible scenarios this could lead to. Of how Adrien and Lila would become all lovey-dovey in front of her. They'd go on dates and make out under the lights of Paris, lost in their own world. Then they'd get married and have five kids! NOOOOO!

A strange sound escaped her similar to a whine and a whimper. How pitiful.

She jerked back to reality when a sharp pinch woke her. The girl looked down to see a tiny red arm retreat back into her purse. Tikki.

Right! She couldn't let jealousy ruin any friendship with Lila a second time. Nor could she let it eat away at her friendship with the love of her life! This would be her second chance with Lila and proof of her growth in the love department. A new beginning!

"A-A-Adrien! H-hi! A-and Lila! You're both...here! T-together..." Alya sighed and shook her head. So much for progress.

This was...a fresh start!

Lila moved out of her way to sit next to Marinette, forcing the blond boy to sit between her and Nino.

A fresh start.

"Adrien asked if I would like to join. How could I refuse," Lila spoke softly to the two girls with a girlish giggle. Her voice was too low for the boys to hear over their conversation about peas and carrots being the bane of the world.

Fresh. Start...

"Sorry about earlier in class. I wasn't trying to make it seem like you were a liar or anything. You seemed a little distraught so I wanted to help ease the tension."

See? She could be pretty nice given the chance. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult after all.

"No...no problem. And thank you."

"So, I heard your family owns a mom and pop bakery? That must be pretty awesome to have fresh, warm pastries and bread every morning. I myself used to help out at a world famous bakery in my hometown. You probably wouldn't know the name of it. Perhaps I can give you some tips or ideas sometime? It could help put your shop on the map."

Adrien jerked his head over to them. Even un-transformed, his Chat instincts were screaming at him that something had happened and it had the hair on his arms raised. This feeling, he was certain, was coming from Marinette. She was quite still. Quiet, and maybe from a distance, peaceful. But she was staring right at Lila with an odd look. The hero was inclined to look around for a butterfly but remained an observer.

" _Really_?" He shivered, both liking the alluring depth her voice had gone to and fearing the tone. He blushed. It reminded him of how Ladybug, on rare occasion, would flirt back. She usually did it to mess with him or when she was really pissed at him.

That's when it hit him.

 _'Oh God!'_ He had shot the bullet! He had _shot_ one, not _dodged_ one! What the heck was he supposed to do now!?

Marinette smiled in a Ladybug-like way. This was not a smile he had seen her show before... He could feel his heart pounding a bit. Anticipating...

"...How _interesting_. What was the name of this...'world-famous' bakery? What was your position there? What was their specialty? Did you learn how to make the bread or did they get it from other shops?"

"Panadería Mundial," Lila said confidently. "I was the lead manager and helped out wherever needed, though I often worked the register because all the customers loved me. As for specialties, we were known for our mantecadoes. They're Spanish cookies, in case you didn't know. We also sold cakes, pastries, pies, cupcakes, and bread, all freshly made _and_ gluten free. Everybody is on that gluten-free diet nowadays. It's the healthy choice. I bet if your family sold gluten-free products it'll be a _huge_ boost in business."

"You're _right_ , I _haven't_ heard of them before. _How strange_... My parent's bakery has participated in quite a few contests and festivals. Three years ago, we even won the title of Best Bakery in Paris. It's a _pretty. Big. Thing. E_ specially in Paris, France, home of the best bakeries this side of Europe." Like commenting about the weather but with sarcasm. A lot of sarcasm.

Lila might not have picked up on Marinette's odd behavior, but the other three sure had. Well, maybe she _had_ picked up on the sarcasm considering she was now frowning. "I'm not sure how we'd be able to get a hold of gluten-free ingredients, but I'm sure there are plenty of other bakeries here who would _love_ to hear about your gluten-"

Her words were quickly cut short by Alya's hand. Marinette struggled in the tight hold her friend had put her in. "Sorry, Lila. It's that time, so she's a bit cranky over every little thing. It's nothing personal. Poor thing was in quite a bit of pain this morning. Downed five pills like they were candy."

Marinette turned bright red at the lie about her time of the month. An embarrassing lie...told right. In. Front. Of. Adrien! ' _Alya, how could you!? Aren't you supposed to be my friend?'_ She wanted to cry.

Nino coughed awkwardly as he strummed his fingers along his knees. Lila nodded, now understanding the situation as any girl would. Adrien on the other hand had no clue what the girl meant by 'that time.' He was still so innocent. Though the thought that Mari was in pain was concerning. She looked about ready to cry for heaven's sake!

"Marinette, if you're hurting, you should go to the nurse's office."

Alya quickly waved him off. "No need, no need. She'll be fine soon. She appreciates your worry, though."

A tiny nod from Marinete backed up Alya's dismissal, though he still felt concern. Still, he was relieved that the situation had been resolved peacefully. He might not have known much about bakeries or gluten-free foods (something his dietitian took care of), but he was sure Marinette's anger stemmed from her family's renown being put into question. He knew her family was warm and inviting, and that they were amazing at their craft. It was also why he felt bad for causing this situation by inviting Lila.

Yet he couldn't just stand by and leave her alone like that. He had felt more freedom and happiness spending time with his friends than he had on his own. Lila would just have to learn, be it the hard way, how to make friends. Impressing someone with an experience might be a great way to start a conversation, but lying could set you back. Honesty is what she needed to learn. ...And maybe some restraint.

Marinette finally calmed down enough to start wolfing down her food in a fashion that was in no way lady-like. It kept her from making any rash comments, which was a good thing, but it left them in another awkward silence.

"So, Lila, have you been akumatized yet?" Strait to the point, Alya. She already knew the answer from Ladybug, but as a conversation topic, it was a start. "I know you're still a bit new, but akuma can pop up from anyone, anywhere."

Lila frowned and looked away, "I have, but I'd rather not talk about it. Ladybug was pretty mean to me and was the reason I became an akuma." Alya perked up at this bit of news, torn between defending her hero and interrogating the hell out of Lila. Darn her journalist side! "Have _you_ been?"

"Of course! Most of our class has, though Chloe was the cause for most cases," she mumbled the last bit. Maybe she could butter the girl up into revealing some truths later. "Only these two adorable faces haven't been akumatized yet," she pinched Marinette's cheek like a long-distant aunt and nodded her head in Adrien's direction.

They both froze, food halfway to their mouths. Even their excuses came up at the same time; automatic if a bit sudden. "I'm pretty laid back. Not much bothers me." "I'm constantly in emotional distress, s-so I'm used to it!" This was followed up by awkward laughter from each.

"... _Riiiiight_ ," Alya agreed, raising a brow at their suspicious behavior.

As school came to an end, Marinette was more than happy to head home for some R&R. But of course, Alya had made good on her promise to not let the subject of Mari and Ladybug slip through her fingers. And somehow in the span of two hours before school was over, Lila had also invited herself over. Something about bonding and wanting to see what Marinette's style was? Something about her room and finding out Marinette liked to design or some such nonsense.

What was a heroine to do? Had Lila suddenly focused all her attention on making Marinette her new friend or something? Wasn't being familiar classmates enough?

The young girl rubbed her temples. A futile attempt at calming her nerves as they neared her home. The building was almost in view. She hadn't had anyone new over since Adri-

"ADRIEN!" Marinette screamed, startling the two other girls. Her hands smacked into her the sides of her head, rubbing her hair around in distress until it was a wild mess. She whipped her head around to her best friend, eyes wide in horror.

Adrien's posters were all over her room! _Lila_ liked Adrien! What the hell would she do if she found out how obsessed Marinette was with him!? What would ADRIEN think if he knew about his _life schedule_!? SHE'D DIE OF SHAME!

"I-I forgot my room is a total mess! I-I'll run ahead and clean it up. You two _, take your time_!" And she was gone.

Alya crossed her arms and let out a soft chuckle. _'She only just now realized that?'_

"Is she that upset over a messy room?" Lila asked, confused.

"Oh, Honey, her mess is _all_ over that room."

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOl

 _TA-DA!_ A second chapter all within 24 hours or so. New record for me? Not sure. But here's chapter two! Now off to bed so I can have maybe 4 hour of sleep before my dental appointment. Because Hoot hoot for night owls!

Sorry. Bad pun...


	3. Ch 3: Chat and Mouse

**Observation**

Thank you to everyone who favored and followed so far. Feel free to leave a review with your thoughts on the story so far. I do look forward to reading them as they motivate me to get more chapters out. For anyone writing their own Miraculous story, check out **Kittify** for all your cat puns. Just put a sentence you want to be punny in there and they'll fix her up.

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO

 **Chapter 3: Chat and Mouse  
**

Adrien felt quite proud of himself. He had not only successfully convinced Nathalie that he had a group project to work on after his fencing lessons, he also convinced his fencing instructor that he was ill and was going to leave early. In other words, he had the whole day to himself to spy on the princess. Maybe he'd even pay her a visit and wow her with his awesomeness. It would be nice to talk with her without all the stuttering and tension she'd get around Adrien.

Chat Noir landed silently on one of the rooftops across from the bakery. It was a decent vintage point to see into her window, but not the best for listening in, even with his excellent hearing. He knew there was no guarantee he'd actually catch her on the phone with LB, but it was an opportunity.

 _Besides_ , maybe he'd learn something interesting about his friend.

And interesting she was as she tore through her room. Posters were quickly ripped from the walls—carefully—so as not to tear them. It was impossible to tell what they were posters of, but she looked so panicked as she shoved them under her bed that he had to laugh. Marinette always had such funny expressions. He kind of wanted to tease her to see what other expressions she'd make.

It was funny, though. A finger tapped against his chin in thought. He never remembered seeing any posters in her room before... At least, not posters as big as what she was carrying around.

Down on the street, he spotted another interesting detail: Alya and Lila. Chat looked back up to the girl's room to see her face plastered to the window. Her eyes were so huge. She screamed and darted around her room again like a headless chicken. The hero winced as she tried to unhook some kind of rolled up screen. She used too much force and went barrelling into a small table, breaking something.

 _'That had to hurt.'_

Why she was so worried about a map or projector screen, he'd never know.

The other girls entered the shop and a few minutes later, they were in her room. _'Looks like it's time_ _fur mwah to slink in fur a closer look.'_

Marinette shoved the last visible evidence into one of her desk drawers and locked it just as the trapdoor to her bedroom opened. She spun around and put on a big, stiff, smile. Her chest heaved painfully from the earlier exercise and her face was a little red.

"Well, here's my room!" She panted and raised her arms to motion around her like she were on some game show, showing the grand prize.

"Hm...not bad. Love the decor." No crude comments or one-upping. Good.

"Oh! You should really see the balcony! _Great_ view," Alya suggested, turning Lila to the left and marching the girl up the stairs. She looked to Marinette and pointed at something behind her. Without a sound, she mouthed, "You missed something."

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath, spun on her heel, and tossed the picture frame into a random drawer. The sound of it drew Lila's attention to her; and like a pro, the heroine took a casual pose against a wall with another odd smile.

 _'Yeah,_ very _inconspicuous, Mari,'_ Alya rolled her eyes.

OwO

Two hours... Two hours and not a single thing had been revealed about Ladybug! Not that he was expecting much with Lila around, but he had hoped for at least some talk about the super duo. All he was given were opinions about fashion, video games, movies, Jagged Stone, school, and Chloe. He felt as though Alya was intentionally avoiding the topic as she was the one directing most of their conversation followed by Lila. Marinette just switched between giving her opinion or staying quiet, but she seemed to be slowly warming up to the girl. Socially at least.

Chat groaned and leaned back against the pleasantly warm roof and closed his eyes. He was perched atop the dormer above her window, allowing him to hear inside even with the window closed. His legs were crossed as were his arms in growing impatience. Patience was his Lady's strong-suit, not his.

Jagged Stone's newest songs began playing from his pocket. Someone was trying to reach Adrien...

"Hey, Nino. What's up?"

"Dude, is there a reason your dad's secretary called me to check up on us and our _nonexistent_ school project?"

Chat frowned, "You didn't tell _her_ that, did you?"

"Nah. I figured you were sneaking out for some fresh air and freedom. Told her it might take a few extra hours to complete. I droned on about it until she hung up on me."

"Thanks, Nino, your pawsome."

There was a moment of silence. "Bro, did you...just make an animal pun?"

"S-sorry, I was distracted by something and cat-cidenta- I-I mean a-acidently said a Chat—uh-c-cat pun. There's a cat near me, so it just came out."

 _'Nice one, you idiot,'_ Chat mentally scolded himself. He pounded his forehead for good measure.

"Riiiight..." At least Nino wasn't questioning him about it. "So...where are you if not with me?"

"Oh, uh...around." ' _Spying on Marinette.'_ "People watching."

"...People watching," There was a tone in his friend's voice as though the notion was impossible to comprehend.

"People watching." Chat repeated. "You should try it sometime. You can learn a lot from watch—"

His ears twitched and the window below opened. Chat plastered himself to the roof like a fly on wallpaper. Even his tail lay flat against it. His legs gripped around the curved dormer as the top of Marinette's head peeked out her window. He held his breath as she looked around.

"Dude, are you the—"

The boy didn't even look at his phone before quickly ending the call. He was a bit more preoccupied with the girl between his legs...not that he intended it to sound so dirty.

She began to tilt her head around to check the balcony. She was going to see him!

"Mari, what are you doing?"

"Hm?" Marinette looked back into the room. "Oh. Sorry. Thought I heard someone."

She stepped back into her room to join the other two. The young man let out a quiet sigh. "Heard someone? On the third floor? Who; a creepy pervert?" Alya joked.

"Perhaps a superhero?" Lila suggested with the tilt of her head and a polite smile.

"N-no, no. I highly doubt Ladybug and Chat Noir are outside my window with their faces pressed to the glass. I probably just heard someone from the streets," she sighed, looking back to the window.

"I wouldn't mind finding Chat Noir outside _my_ window," Lila spoke up causing the man outside to un-glue himself. Was this...was this what he had been waiting for...? He bit his bottom lip.

Alya finally deemed okay with talking on the subject. "Yeah, you said you didn't care much for Ladybug, but what about Chat? What's your opinion of him?"

Finally! Something good!

"Mmmh... I don't remember anything while I was an akuma, but from what I saw after, he's pretty hot." Chat smirked and flexed his arms outside, basking in the complement. "Slender, strong, wearing tight leather and dressed as a cat? Plus he has a nice voice? Top marks in my book."

" _Pft!_ But his personality isn't much of an attraction," Marinette interrupted. He could hear her spinning around on her computer chair.

Chat jerked his head down, surprised. _'What!? But she said she liked Chat Noir! Well...not in so few words. She rambled quite a bit, actually. Besides, I've saved her more than once from an akuma!'_

"Really? What about him is so bad?"

 _'Yeah! What about me don't you like!?'_

"Well..." she thought. "His biggest flaw—other than trying to be overly punny—is that he's too much of a flirt."

"WHAT!" he harshly whispered. He had only ever flirted with his Lady!

"He was trying to show off to me that time with Evillustrator, flexing his muscles and saying how awesome he was and how he had so many damsels to go rescue. Plus there were other girls he's flirted with...a-according to Ladybug," She added. "Of course she wouldn't take his flirting seriously." Alya's sudden alert expression caused Marinette to add on rather quickly. "Sh-she told me that time I grabbed her for your interview! Said he'd constantly flirt with her, even when they first met. He even tried flexing his muscles at you that time you became Lady Wifi."

" _Really_?" The blogger was already typing away at her phone, possibly to update the Ladyblog.

Chat silently cursed up a storm. Now he was going to get a bad rep because of a misunderstanding! He could already picture the blog. 'CHAT NOIR: HERO? OR _WOMANIZER!_ ' He hadn't flirted with other girls! _Really_ he hadn't! At least...not intentionally.

His interaction with Marinette had been to make up for their first meeting at school where she thought Adrien had stuck gum to her seat. Sure she didn't know he was Adrien, but it was a blunder he had always wished never happened. With her, Chat was a second chance! As for Lady Wifii, it was because she was recording live and he had the pressing urge to be a dork and show off how awesome he was. And lastly, his first meeting with LB had been when he was still high off excitement at being free and having superpowers. He wanted to be anyone other than the shy and polite, Adrien Agreste. She just happened to steal his heart soon after and every flirt thereafter had been his true feelings towards her.

Did Ladybug really think him so...so _loose_? Marinette as well? Clawed fingers gripped at the leather against his chest.

Then came a curious question. "So you hate him?"

The brief moment of silence made his chest ache. A breath of air remained trapped inside him, too nervous to let it out lest he not hear her answer. He felt uncertain if he really wanted to know or not, but resisted the urge to leave. "No, I don't." Her voice was soft. Gentle. The ache slowly left him.

"He may be a flirty tom cat who makes jokes even at the worst of times, but he's a guy you can trust to have your back or to keep a promise. He may be a bit deceptive to other people, but he has never lied to Ladybug. I'm sure she trusts him more than anyone. And he really is a kind gentleman. He cares about people and can be very considerate of a person's feelings." Chat couldn't help the broad grin that appeared. Marinette was so nice.

"But what about his _looks_?" Lila interjected, leaning closer to the girl with a sly smile. Chat perked up, pupils wide.

Marinette froze. "W-what a-about his appearance?"

"You _know_... Do you find him attractive? That bell and ears work really well on him. And that leather..."

Alya leaned in, just as curious. She knew Marinette fancied Adrien to the moon, but she was a little intrigued about Mari's thoughts towards other men. The male hero falling into the category of "man," of course. Chat found himself leaning down, ears focused in on her shaking voice.

"W-w-well, I wouldn't say he's _bad_ looking. I-I mean he's _k-kind_ of cute. Not as cute or handsome as another guy I know, b-but h-he's definitely c-cute. A-and his eyes are really—y-you can really...get lost in them, ya know?"

Chat felt his face grow hot. Even his ears were burning as two loud sequels erupted from inside the room followed by a third, distraught whine.

"Oh my God, you're _blushing_!"

"No I'm not!"

"Girl, you are _so_ red right now!"

"NO I'M _NOT_! I-IT'S JUST HOT IN HERE!" Marinette screamed, hiding her face behind her hands. Her only-useless-defense from the giggling girls.

Bliss... He felt blissful as he leaned back against the roof, arms crossed behind his head. _'She thinks I'm cute... And she likes my eyes.'_ How unaware he was of the goofy smile he had. Chat simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasant, warm feeling. He'd have to mess with her next time they met face to face. He would have so much fun with her...

OwO

The two girls finally ended their interrogation of Marinette's opinion on Chat Noir after her mother brought up fresh-baked croissants and cookies. Chat had since then, calmed down. His nose twitched in delight at the smell of warm croissants. They made his belly quake in demand for food.

Marinette's family's bakery was seriously the best. Just the smell alone had his mouth watering and stomach grumbling. Even if he had a dietitian to keep him healthy and fit, running around as a superhero could really burn the energy out of him. His stomach grumbled again.

The girl's talk had returned to less important subjects such as homework and clothes. Subjects Chat had little interest in at the moment. But as a bathroom break was called, he perked up. Marinette's bathroom was not attached to her room. Which meant...

He leaned over, peeking into the room. Empty. _'Purrfect!'_

With cat-like grace, he vaulted into the room through the open window, never making so much as a peep. He listened. All was quite. And there came the bee-line to the croissants.

Even after the girls had their go at it, there were quite a few croissants and about four cookies left over. Nobody would notice two or three missing pastries and maybe a cookie...or two, so he helped himself. One was shoved into his mouth, and the rest into his welcoming arms. He looked up to check again that nobody was nearing the room when a soft clink drew his attention. Thinking he had hit something, he looked down only to find nothing had been moved.

Yet...something felt off. He was sure something had changed. "Let's see. Three cups of water. Check. A fashion magazine? Check. A pawlate with a few croissants and cook—"

He stared at the plate. Of the four cookies left by the girls, he had two. Which meant there should have been two remaining... There was only one.

The smallest of sounds and the tiniest of crunching noises reached his cat ears. He jerked his head around, trying pinpoint the source of the noise. The cookie had not fallen somewhere. It had been snatched; right from under his nose, no less. The thief was fast and quiet. Smart enough to avoid being out in the open where he could see it.

How could he not have noticed? He had entered her room as Chat once before. Sure he was in a bit of a hurry and pretty distracted with an akuma, but he should have heard it. All this time it was here...with Marinette. Chat could not overlook this. This was a situation he had to face.

Marinette...had a _mouse_ problem.

That or an escaped hamster...

Regardless, he had to catch the tiny pest! Be he Chat Noir or Adrien Agreste, he could not let his friend sleep with the possibility of a mouse or rat crawling all over her. He would protect his princess like a real man!

The pastries were set aside so he could move around the table. His instincts told him where to go. Where the lil critter was. _'There!'_

He eyed her desk, crouching low with his rear raised a bit. The belt swayed while the tip flickered. A shadow flashed by under her desk and his eyes dilated. His hips moved side to side, slowly, and his tail stilled. The sound of chewing stopped...

 _'You're mine!'_

Chat launched headfirst under the desk, claws out to swipe at the rodent. All he felt between his fingers was the half-eaten cookie. No mouse. He lowered himself to the floor, worried the bugger escaped into some hole in the wall, but there were no holes and no mice.

"Where'd you go!?" he growled.

"-really isn't so bad once you get past her habit of lying. She's actually-"

He didn't hear the rest. Chat shot up so fast, his head slammed into the bottom of the desk with a loud crash followed by twinkling stars.

There was a moment of silence before two sets of footsteps ran up the stairs. In a blind panic, the blond grabbed one of the abandoned croissants and bolted. The trapdoor opened just as he was out the window.

Marinette looked around, alert to a "disturbance in the force" that was her room. First to note was the knocked over objects on her desk, then the mess of croissants and cookies by the couch. Alya's head popped up beside her. Lila had left to run some errands so it was just the two friends.

"What happened?"

The raven didn't answer as she began checking the drawers near her craft station in haste. She stopped at the bottom drawer where a spooked kwami gave her a sheepish smile. "N-nothing. Something just fell down is all," she lied and gently closed the drawer.

"Sooo..." Marinette braced her sanity as Alya began her, "I-have-a-favor/discussion-that-involves-you," tone. "IneedanotherinterviewwithLadybugandChatNoir!Pleasemakeithappen!?" She finished with her hands clasped in prayer.

"Say what?"

Alya took a deep breath and fixed her glasses like a mature woman. "I need another interview with Ladybug and one with Chat Noir. The Ladyblog has been bombarded with requests for more interviews. I told you about it this morning, remember? Apparently people have a lot of questions they want to ask Paris's heroes. I've even had to consider making a joint blog for Chat Noir to even out the traffic and any questions about him alone. I probably won't make it until I have a good name, though. But anyway, I was hoping you could ask the two if you run into them? Of course, I want you far away from trouble if it comes," she added quickly before giving the girl her best puppy eyes.

Marinette groaned at the look, already caving. Her one weakness. Well...one of many. "I'll...see what I can do," she sighed. "But I make no promises!" she yelled, pointing a finger up to the ceiling. "And NOBODY is to hear about this! _Ever!_ "

"Of course!" Alya grinned and pinched her fingers across her lips. "My lips are sealed!"

 _BOOM!_

The faraway explosion shook the ground. An akuma attack. Alya gasped and grabbed her phone. "That's my cue!"

"Just be safe!" Marinette called after her as the auburn-haired girl was already half-way down the stairs.

Outside stood a grinning kitty. He had heard such wonderful news just now. From his Princess's reaction, contacting his Lady was not an impossibility. In fact, she seemed to feel easily capable of it.

He finished the remainder of his pastry, calm as a kitten. He licked his thumb clean of crumbs as another, smaller _boom_ echoed through Paris. "And _that's_ my cue."

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO


	4. Ch 4: Mere Minutes

**Observation**

(Edited and fixed up)

I'm almost halfway through chapter 5. Originally this chapter was going to be named The Chat who Caught the Canary, but I'll be saving that title for another chapter farther on. Anyway, I'm happy I've gotten so many people watching the story and favoring it. I may go back to previous chapters and add in a bit more content, but that will be a bit later. Mainly just filler and humor to some of the scrawnier paragraphs. 

* * *

**Chapter 4: Mere Minutes**

"Ahahahaa! Who'z fire-hic-fired now, huh!?" Devilition laughed once more as he pulled out two more circular bombs from the tubes attached to his backpack. His skin was now a charcoal black with zigzagging white lines, and spurts of red and yellow mixed in. Probably not the most impressive in design, but certainly not boring in appearance compared to other akumatized.

The akuma's face showed a flush and his movements were unsteady. Still, he was clearly having the time of his life as blew apart several outer walls of the new four-story mall that was under construction. Those who had been constructing it now hid behind whatever they could find as cover from the bombs or flying debris.

Devilition's gaze fell onto one fleeing man and he smiled with glee. "Eve-nin, Boss-man. Wanna' see my new resume? It's explosive!" With a gloved hand, he threw one of the bombs straight for the older man who could only look back in fear as he ran.

"Batter up!" Chat's staff hit the ball high into the air where it exploded into a cloud of black smoke. The pussycat grinned and hooked the staff behind his head, giving the akuma a mock salute. "Don't you know blowing up your furrmer boss blows your chance at landing a mew job?"

"Cha' Noah!" the akuma slurred, pointing at the kitty dramatically. "Gimme yurr Myra...murraclaws!"

Chat blinked at him, unresponsive for a second. "Wow... A drunk akuma? That's new."

"SHUT UP! I'm nah druck!" He chucked more bombs, not caring where they went or who was caught in the blasts.

Life as a hero was often very difficult. You had to fight akuma, balance personal and hero life, and keep civilians from getting hurt or killed. And large crowds did NOT make things easier. Everywhere he looked there were bombs and a person just waiting to get blown up. If he wasn't so worried for them, he'd be frustrated. THEN there were the maltov cocktails Devilition threw at the exits, blocking any escape with a pool of fire. The bouncing bombshells weren't helpful either. Chat had to resort to gently throwing workers over the chain-link fence so they could make a run for it.

The smoke in the area thickened, burning the boy's eyes and throat. Visibility was difficult and the sound of the explosions made his ears ring. It was one of the few times he hated his super-hearing ability.

"Tsk!" Chat poll-vaulted onto a crane and ran up to the top for some fresh air. He wasn't worried about the difficulty of the akuma. In fact, he probably could take care of him all his own, but his surroundings were starting to give him a bit of a headache. The only good thing was that Devilition had as much visibility as he did, so he didn't notice Chat's absence and continued throwing around bombs like he was distributing candy.

"Chat!"

Said kitty jerked his head around. By now it had become an automatic response whenever Ladybug called to him. His partner swung herself under the crane with her yo-yo and landed a few bars down from him.

"Graceful as always, my Lady," he smiled at her. Another automatic response he was more than happy to give her.

"So, what do we have this time?" Strait to the point.

"I'm purretty sure the guy was just fired furrom his job. Almost wish I could be."

Ladybug gave him a skeptical look, "You actually have a job? Didn't think anyone would hire such a joker." He could see a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"I'll have you meow I'm supepurr popular and loved by many." He waved his hand around dramatically. "Wanna know what I do?"

"Nope!" She chimed making her partner pout.

The sound of explosions stopped momentarily as an angry yell replaced them. "Whez you at Chuck Norce!?" Really? Chat crossed his arms with a huff. That wasn't even _close_ to his name!

Ladybug blinked. "Is...Is he-?"

Chat gave her an amused smile. "Yep! Pawsitively hammered."

"...Wow," was all she could manage. "Hawkmoth is really scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I'm surprised you're not spouting out drunk jokes."

He shrugged. "First off, all the best drunk jokes involve bars which we're nowhere near unless you count this one," he twirled his baton. "And second, I do have seferal jokes about unempawloyed people, but it doesn't matter, none of them work."

It took her a moment to register what he had said. She knew off the bat that he had said some sort of bad joke by the increasingly annoying smile he had on. That Cheshire grin would not be going away anytime soon. Ladybug just sighed and shook her head. "Really, Chaton?"

Her kitty gave her a cute pout, "Oh, come on! That one was good! You should be _exploding_ with laughter. "

"No. No, it wasn't."

Their debate was interrupted by a bomb thrown at the male superhero. Apparently drunk did not mean deaf and Chat's yelling had attracted some unwanted attention. The two split up, looking for a different roost to formulate a plan as more bombs were thrown about.

"So, where's his akuma hiding?" He heard his Lady call. She couldn't see the akuma well with all the smoke and dust.

His claws scraped against a concrete wall to slow his leap. Chat clung to the side of the building and took on a thinking pose, more for show than the need to concentrate. "If I have to guess...hardhat or the bomb bag."

"Destroying the source of his bombs would be nice... Especially if there's an akuma hiding in it." He could tell what she was thinking but immediately shot it down.

"You want to find out what cataclysm would do to a bag full of paw-sibly "endless" explosives?"

"Uh...good point. Hard hat it is." 

* * *

It was a good thing Miraculous Ladybug could fix almost any and all damage made by akuma attacks. Chat didn't want to imagine what it would be like for the cleanup crew if they had to constantly repair Paris after every attack. This one, especially. Devilition's bomb bag had more than just a means of depositing bombs but could actually shoot mini-bombs like a machine gun. And boy could they travel!

But everything was fixed now and the duo now new what had changed the man in the first place. After his girlfriend had broken up with him, he drowned his sorrows in the bottle, only to forget he had to work. That led to him showing up late and heavily intoxicated, which led to him being fired. Ladybug and Noir pulled a few strings with the man's former boss and got his job back. Now all that was left was easing the pain of a broken heart. That was—sadly—Chat's specialty.

The male hero patted the victim's back. "Don't worry, buddy. There are plenty of fish in the sea. And somewhere there's a lady waiting for you to find her. Everything that happens is just one step closer to finding her." No puns or jokes. Just...understanding.

The duo left as paramedics arrived to treat anyone from possible smoke inhalation. A secluded rooftop gave them some privacy from the media that was already swarming like flies on dung.

"Perhaps you should follow your own advice?" Ladybug suggested with a playful smirk which Chat returned.

"Nah," he leaned into her to show his affection. "I prefer Ladybugs to fish any day, and there's only one Ladybug."

"And I prefer men to cats," she teased and gently shoved him away by the shoulder.

This didn't deter him one bit. Instead, he began flexing his muscles at her, "Oh I can be _quite_ manly under the suit, Buggaboo. Wanna see?"

Her ears felt a little hot. Ladybug clicked her tongue, "Don't push it, Kitty."

The soft BEEP from both miraculous signaled their parting. Ladybug turned to leave and Chat stepped towards her to try and convince her otherwise. It was the same routine every time; except this time.

Caught with his mouth open, his crush turned back around with a request of her own. This was rather new. The boy was certain he needed to clean out his ears. The bombs must have seriously messed them up as he clearly heard wrong.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I said Alya—the girl who runs the Ladyblog—was wondering if she could interview us. Both together and individually. Guess even you have a few fan girls, huh?" She teased, shrugging her shoulders. Her partner, however, didn't react. In fact, he stood very still and was very quiet. After a moment, she was becoming concerned and approached the statue. "Um...Chat? Chat are you o-?"

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!"

Ladybug jumped back almost terrified by his outburst.

She thought he would have liked being the center of attention. He was usually a show off at all the wrong times. Plus an interview would mean them meeting outside of and akuma fight, something he had always begged her for. This was not the reaction she was expecting. The swearing was also new. Usually, he'd say other, mixed-up word combinations or cat references to cover any swearing with the occasional slip during surprises, but he must have been quite angry. Was it something she had said? Did she push it too far with her joke?

"I-if you don't want to, that's fine. I was just-"

Chat flinched and grabbed her hand. He hadn't meant to scare or startle her like that. It just...popped out. "No! No, I would _love_ to do an interview with you, my Lady. I just...remembered something...important." Another BEEP. They were cutting this close. "What day and time? Nights are better fur me," he lightly punned, hoping to lighten the mood.

Well, at least he wasn't mad at her. The heroine bit her lip. Planning would take time neither of them had right now. "Um...talk to her friend, Marinette. You remember, the cutie who helped you with that one akuma? She's the one who asked me. She should be able to get our times and schedule something with Alya."

Yes, that would do for now. Now she wouldn't have to fake a run-in with Alya while dressed as Ladybug. Plus it would give Chat a chance to plan a time that would work for him.

Chat released her hand a bit reluctantly. "Yes. I'll go see her right after I recharge. Later LB!" And he was off.

Pleased with her brilliance, Ladybug turned to leave as well before something he said caught her attention. 'Wait...did he say after he recharges?' 

* * *

Adrien slid down a wall to sit on the cold ground just as his time playing hero ended. The deserted alley was dark enough with the setting sun to easily hide him. Plagg guided himself to the boy's face, paws out.

"Cheese me," the mini-god demanded.

Green eyes rolled and a wedge of Camembert was handed over. "Just hurry up."

"Yeah, yeah, ya grump." The whole chunk was shoved into the kwami's mouth. "So what now?"

The alley was silent for a moment as Adrien cupped his face in thought. "Go see Marinette." His voice was a little flat. A soft sigh passed his lips. "Five minutes, Plagg... Five minutes to get to the akuma's location from her house and another five or so before Ladybug showed up. That means that if they talked in person, it was within five minutes after I had left. And if it's by phone, then it was ten minutes." A weird groaning noise was made and he slapped his cheeks. "If I had only waited a bit longer!"

"Kid, if you had waited any longer, those people would have been blown to bits." he had a point. Plagg licked his lips to collect any remaining cheesy flavor. His hands were held out once more. Greedy guss. "Stop worrying about it. You were planning on peeping in on your girlfriend, so you'll probably discover Ladybug at some point."

"P-peeping!?" The boy's face flushed, "I wasn't peeping on her! I was gathering intel! It's called _spying_! I just have to know if it's by phone, e-mail, or in person! ...And she's not my girlfriend!" He was feeling uncomfortably hot under the collar.

Yet his excuses were ignored. Cheese was clearly more important than his charge's lady problems. "Whatever you say, Kid. Mmmh, creamy!"

Adrien curled up and wrapped his arms around his knees, "I wonder how long she's been friends with Ladybug." The golden sky above looked beautiful as pink and purple clouds drifted high above them. A gorgeous sunset he wouldn't see from the cold shadows.

At a soft sigh, the cat's tail twitched and the kwami patted the boy's shoulder. "Look, Kid...I don't give out advice often," "You mean ever?" "Just cram it and listen. If you want more chances to see Ladybug, why don't you try hanging out with Marinette more? ...In person. You guys get along well and who knows, you just might actually see Ladybug." Adrien looked up, a bit surprised with his Kwami. That had to be the best-if only-advice Plagg had ever given him. ...It was strange he was being so nice. Usually, he wanted something, like cheese or more sleep or...something. "Plus it's funny watching that human girl freak out and embarrass herself whenever you're near." Ah...there it is. "She makes all kinds of stupid faces."

A flick of a finger made the little guy yelp. "Plagg, claws out." 

* * *

She forgot the cookies! HOW could she forget the _cookies_!? Marinette raced down the sidewalk to her house, thoughts a mess.

No, she was not worried about Adrien's posters as they were still stuffed under her bed with love. But Chat was going to see her right after the fight, which meant he had a head start on her. She couldn't chance him seeing her land in her room as Ladybug, but without cookies, it would take her a while to get there, which meant he'd probably be snooping around her room unsupervised rather than waiting outside on the balcony like a good kitty. God help her if he saw her desktop screensaver with pictures of Adrien surrounded by all those hearts!

Marinette threw herself into the shop with a rushed greeting to her parents before she was up two flights of stairs. The trap door was thrown open and she tripped on the last step. The fall was not as painful as she had expected. Her body fell into something firm and smooth which wrapped around her to hold her up. It was strong but gentle. A leathery smell mixed with a nice cologne surrounded her.

"My, my. So you _are_ falling fur me, Purrincess." A hand tilted her head up to meet vivid green eyes and a face just inches from her.


	5. Ch 5: A Little Visit

**Observation**

(Edited and fixed)

BEFORE YOU READ: I've updated the previous 4 chapters to make them flow better (I hope). I also added a reason for Lila to go into Marinette's room, though her personal reason will not be given just yet. Feel free to reread or continue from where you're at.

REVIEWS! I want them! Be they helpful criticism, your wishlist for this story, or just your opinions so far, they really do help. Not to mention they push me to work on chapters rather than being the lazy butt I am. 

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Little Visit**

The sun was almost gone by the time the hero landed on Marinette's rooftop. Like the gentleman he was, he knocked first with a small smile in place. When no response came, he frowned and pressed his face to the glass. Her lights were on, but he saw no sign of the girl.

Chat opened the window. It was a little concerning that it was unlocked. Didn't Marinette know the world was full of creepy perverts who preyed on girls like her? They'd slip right in if they knew the door was always open.

Not being a creepy pervert, Chat vaulted right in, careful not to land on her bed and dirty it with his boots. He landed on the loft railing and took a gander, going so far as to hang upside-down to see under the platform. No Marinette. And no mouse from the sounds of it. Silently he jumped down, not wanting her parents to hear him from below.

Without the need to be sneaky or rushed, the male had more time to look around. He had been here before as Adrien, but was far too shy and polite to overstep his boundaries in a girl's room. Though right now, he was a curious cat.

Her room was well designed and practical. A bit girly with all the pink, but it was a pleasant shade with bits of black and white. It suited her. Not to mention, it smelled of fresh bread and some kind of sweet perfume he often noticed from her. Chat passed by a little box he had seen once before when Sabrina got her hand stuck in it during the class election.

'Her diary,' he paused, remembering why Chloe wanted it in the first place.

Contact information, interactions, maybe even Ladybug's true identity... If anything had information about his Lady, it was in that book.

Yet Chat passed it by without a second thought.

As much as he wanted to know; had been dying to know, Chat would not do that to Marinette. He respected her far too much to read about her personal thoughts and feelings. Regardless of his outward appearance, Marinette was important to him. He would not betray her friendship like that.

The box wasn't the only thing of interest in the room. He looked around, recognizing several other items from last year. The class photo and private photo the class took for Juleka. There was the cheer banner for Alex and Kim's race which was neatly rolled up in the corner. Ah, the memory of two Ladybugs. Pure bliss!

Framed on the wall was a signed Jagged Stone CD case which she designed. He remembered asking her to autograph his own copy. Over by her sewing machine was the feather hat she had made for the contest his father had. Chat remembered modeling in it and sneezing quite a bit, much to the photographer's dismay. Even so, it was an awesome hat. He'd probably avoid going near it today. Just in case.

Marinette's collection of handmade akuma dolls had grown. The detail and quality were exquisite as expected. He still wanted to ask her for a Ladybug and Chat Noir doll.

Satisfied with his snooping, Chat laid down on the lounge at the far side of her room. He took a "french girl" pose from the Titanic movie. He had SO many jokes he could make with this! It was hard to narrow it down on what to say so he considered his options and waited for his princess. And waited. ...and wai-

This was taking too long! Where was she? It was already dark out! Was she downstairs with her family?

Chat heard a commotion downstairs followed by Marinette's voice. Again someone was thundering up the stairs. A new thought raised some concern and he suddenly stood. Chat moved in front of the trapdoor and opened his arms.

"...Three...two," he whispered, "...One."

Right on cue, Marinette burst in and tripped. He knew she would. Marinette had an unfortunate habit of tripping over things; be they objects, her own feet, or someone else's. Her luck always became worse whenever she was in a hurry. Even as Adrien, he had begun predicting these little trips of hers, pun intended. There were times he'd go out of his way to catch her.

Something from earlier popped into his head as he helped straighten her up. With a sultry smile, Chat leaned in and tilted her head up. He caught her eyes. "My, my. So you _are_ falling for me, Purrincess."

He was close enough to kiss her. Not that he was going to, mind you. He just...wanted to tease her, especially now that he knew she fancied his eyes and thought him cute. He wanted to see the reaction she had given her friends which he had missed. ...He wanted to turn her into a blushing, stuttering mess.

And boy did he.

"T-t-too close!"

The blushing girl shoved him away, or tried to. He hadn't quite let go yet; a smart decision considering she was at the top of the stairs. He swung her around to his side before letting her go free once he gave her hand a kiss.

"Now, now, Princess, you should be thanking me for catching you."

She groaned but relented, closing the trapdoor so her parents wouldn't overhear. "Thank you for catching me, Chat. Now...why are you in my room?" she asked as if she didn't already know the answer. Marinette sat down at her computer with her arms crossed. If she was trying to look intimidating, she was failing horribly.

Chat shifted his weight onto one leg. "Well, a little Lady told me to talk to you about scheduling an interview with your friend, Alya. Assuming it's not too much trouble. I know you're probably busy with school and designing. Not to mention helping your parents."

"Mmh, it's no trouble." By now her blush was long gone as she had gone into work mode, pulling out a little planner. "Alright then, what days and times would you prefer? Obviously not during school hours. Perhaps nighttime?"

"Nights would be purrfect, especially after nine. This Saturday is my day off, so I could pawsibly do a longer interview then." He had plans to hang out with Nino in the morning and afternoon, but they could break in the evening.

"Saturday evening would be great," she scribbled down the information. "Ladybug will be available at that time, too. And it'll give Alya time to think up some good questions and to find a secluded place for you guys."

" _Oh_? You've already spoken to Ladybug about her times?" he probed, hoping to get lucky.

"Yes, earlier today," she wasn't paying much attention to him as she texted Alya the information. "Told her about the interview and got her times down in my head."

Earlier today? "Really?" Earlier today she was with Alya and Lila. Earlier today he had been watching her up until the akuma attack. Was it after the attack? It couldn't have been before. "Was it by e-mail?"

"Nope," she said simply still not paying attention to anything other than her phone. "E-mails can be traced or hacked."

"Phone number or text?" Chat continued, casually asking.

"Nope. Someone can listen in on those or read them."

"So...in perrson then?" Marinette looked up from her typing.

"Trying to fish for information, Kitty?"

She was on to him! _Quick_ , plan B! Summoning his inner model, Chat gave her an innocent look, "Just curious. Didn't meow I was sharing my favorite civilian with Ladybug. Can't say I'm surpurrised. You're purrtty easy to get along with, not to mention really cute."

Marinette leaned back in her chair and draped an arm over the back. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Kitty." What a spicy look she had.

Chat held up his hands in defense. "I'm just being pawnest, Princess. Even Ladybug said you were cute. I'm actually a little surprised you don't have a boyfriend." This was more of a joke, but Marinette didn't seem to notice. Instead, she blushed, taking his joke as him teasing her.

"I-it's not like I've never been asked!" Chat narrowed his eyes a bit. "I just... I already have someone I like, so I turned down guys who've tried asking me out." The shy and happy demeanor she put on had his attention and not pleasantly so. An irritating itch in his chest made him grimace.

"So you're dating someone." Not a question.

"D-da-d-dating!?" Her face was beyond red. "O-of course we're not! I-I mean I'd love to love him-I-I mean love to date him! He's perfect and amazing and wonderful! I don't have the courage to confess yet, let alone ask to hang out with him even if we go to the same school..."

Chat glared at her and crossed his arms. He didn't like this. Not one bit! Marinette was kind and sweet. She was too innocent to be dating some nobody who would probably try to do unmentionable things to her because she was too shy to say no. As if he'd let some creep get near her. He couldn't even remember seeing her talk to guys at their school other than the boys in their class. Was it in secret? When he was at his extra lessons? After school? The black cat let out a huff and his tail began twitching to match his annoyance.

"Sound suspicious to me. How can you "love" a guy you don't even talk to? Nobody's purrfect. He probably has some dark secret to hide. You should stay away from guys like that, Marinette. You might get hurt."

She snorted in response. "Isn't Ladybug "purrfect?" I'll have you know the guy I love is every bit as amazing to me as Ladybug is to you."

Chat was quiet for a time; the serious look he had never left him as he watched her. "Ladybug isn't perfect."

This was...news to her. Well, she knew ladybug wasn't perfect because she was Ladybug and Marinette was anything but perfect. But she was sure Noir always thought of Ladybug in that way. Like some idol without flaw.

"She can be pushy, harsh, sarcastic, and a little commanding. There are times she brushes my feelings under the rug because she doesn't know how honest they are. She's protective of her image and hates liars, which has led to more than one akuma victim. When she's rushed or distracted, she's a total clutz which can be funny at times. Under that mask she is every bit as human as you or I, and I love her for that, because even with her flaws she always gets up when pushed down. When she's scared she faces her fears and tries to give courage to others. When outmatched she keeps calm and focuses on her surroundings to gain an advantage. She's not afraid to ask for help and she cares deeply for those she protects, even if they're not her favorite people. When she makes a mistake she always tries to fix it. I've worked with her for almost a year now. I can read my Lady well both in battle and as a person. She might have her own priorities and personal opinions but she always follows the path of a hero. She will always be my perfectly imperfect Ladybug."

Marinette felt a little...speechless. She never realized just how much attention Chat paid her or how much she actually meant to him. It was very sweet, his opinion of her. She couldn't exactly "aww" in front of him, so she did so internally. There was some question about his "honest feelings," but she didn't get the chance to ask. Chat was once again inches from her as he leaned over. She showed her discomfort but it was blatantly ignored by an unblinking stare. Damn his lovely eyes!

And then he ruined it.

"So...who is this creep you like?"

She pouted. "He's not a _creep_. He's very kind and considerate."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Sweetie. ...So who is it?"

Marinette smirked and crossed her arms, defiant. "What, you think I'd tell _you_? _You_ probably wouldn't know him."

"Try me."

She didn't like the confidence in his voice. No doubt he'd recognize Adrien Agreste. The boy was almost as renown as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Even if he'd acknowledge the boy's kind heart, Marinette didn't want to chance him annoying her crush or spilling the beans about her feelings. Plus there was the chance he'd tease her for falling for a famous model. Nope! No way, no how!

"Sorry, but I'm not talking."

Oh, a challenge was it? Well, even if she didn't talk, he'd find out one way or another. "Does Alya know?" he asked with an innocent smile.

The girl stiffened. "She won't talk, either."

Chat's smile turned into a devilish smirk, "Wanna bet?"


	6. Ch 6: Interview with a Cat

**Observation**

Reviews! There's many! X3 FEED ME MORE! :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favored, and/or followed this story so far. I've had a busy week both at work and at home, so it has taken me longer to get around to writing this one than I would have liked. Hopefully I'll have plenty of time the following week to pop out another chapter or two. I feel kinda blah about the writing in this chapter. I'm not sure if it's because I'm super tired while re-reading and editing it, or if the flow really is off. Let me know if I need to fix something or if it's fine the way it is.

I may also (possibly) get around to updating Bloody Love (Naruto). ...Maybe. Might be a few weeks before I do any actual writing instead of daydreaming what will happen.

Also, I've given up and decided to go with bluenette instead of raven haired, as Marinette's hair really is tinted blue. Plus most of the other fanfics I've been reading use bluenette (I know it's not an _actual_ english word, but to hell with it).

By the way...

Cat puns... Be prepared for them.

...There are many.

 _BWAHAHAHAA!_ :D _  
_

But seriously, I have one pun (not a cat one) that I've been dying to use and I can't until next chapter.

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO

 **Chapter 6: Interview with a Cat**

Marinette rolled over in her bed both frustrated and exhausted. Tonight was the dreaded interview of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Having the constant worry of what her partner had planned had left her without much sleep the past few days. She knew Alya wouldn't snitch on her. ...Not unless there was some juicy information about Ladybug. That was just the tip of the iceberg her life was steering towards. The whole night had been spent tossing and turning or staring out the window above her bed.

It probably would have been better to spend the night sitting outside on her balcony. At least the cool breeze and Paris lights would have helped relax her.

And then there was Adrien Agreste. The past few days the boy had been more talkative with her than normal. Don't get her wrong, she loved that he was noticing her more and spending time with her, but having her long-time crush so close at spontaneous moments put her heart under some serious stress. His gorgeous, heart-warming smiles were deadly. Half-way through their conversations she'd return to a stuttering mess of goo. It was a surprise she could even function with all that blood rushing to her head. She was glad their lunches involved other people joining, though she still felt weary of Lila.

Oh, and of course there was Alya to deal with. Boy that girl could scream.

When Marinette told her Ladybug and Chat Noir had agreed to an interview that weekend, she almost squeezed her friend to death in excitement. There was a lot of ringing in the ears which was closely followed by endless "thank you's," and offers of free food. Alya invited her to attend the interview, but Mari politely declined, offering instead to help come up with questions to ask—ones that wouldn't reveal too much information or catch the heroes off guard. Marinette was just happy to make Alya happy.

Golden orange light filtered in to her room with the rising sun. Morning. She groaned and sat up, rubbing the stiffness from her face. Tikki yawned beside her pillow and stretched. At least one of them had a restful sleep.

"Good morning, Marinette."

Her own greeting was weak and moody, "Hnnn...mornin'."

Luckily Tikki took no offense to it. "It's odd to see you up so early, especially on a weekend."

"I'm not up early, I'm up late. I can't stop worrying what that silly cat is going to do! I don't get why he's so insistent on finding out who I like. It's got nothing to do with _him_."

Tikki pondered this with a loud hum. "Maybe he likes you and was jealous?"

The girl snorted at this. What a dumb idea. "Yeah right. He's in love with Ladybug, not me."

"But _you_ are Ladybug."

"And he has no idea."

This earned a sigh.

"Perhaps not, but you can like more than one person Marinette. A person's feelings aren't set in stone. They're more like...a fruit tree!" Marinette arched a brow. At this, the kwami tried to explain further. "New branches grow from connections with others. The leaves are memories they share with that person, and the love they have towards them, platonic or romantic, are the fruit it bears. Sometimes the fruit grows big and stopps, while another fruit that was smaller continues to grow until it surpasses all the others."

Well, that kind of made sense...in a weird, far-to-descriptive way. "Oh? So what would the roots be?"

"An individual's personality, morals, and beliefs. It's their own guidance that nurtures growth in themselves and with others.."

"That's pretty deep. _Buuuuut_ I'm still not letting Chat know who I like, whatever his reasons for wanting to know."

Tikki sighed again, "Would it really be that bad to let him know?"

"Of course it would be! He'd probably tease me non-stop or point out how unlikely it is for Adrien to ever like me, or worse, he might go bother Adrien!"

"If you say so." Tikki rolled her eyes then smiled quietly. _'Well, he might tease her a wee bit if he knew.'_

Marinette stretched once more and climbed down to the main floor of her room to go change. "Mind if I open the window. It's a bit stuffy in here."

Several nights ago when Alya and Lila had come over, a black crow of all things, had flown into her room and attacked Tikki while the girls were downstairs. Apparently the feathery critter spotted her while she was grabbing a cookie and tried to eat her. At least, that was the kwami's tale, and Marinette wasn't one to doubt her little friend.

"Of course! You don't have to keep the windows closed anymore, Marinette. I'll be more careful from now on. I just didn't think I'd be noticed then."

The teen opened one of her windows, breathing in the fresh morning air. It would be a lovely day. "Well, birds have good eyes." Minus the magical powers of glass.

"Hmm. I wonder about that..."

OwO

Adrien paced about his room later that morning. He still had time before he was supposed hang out with Nino. This extra time was used to plan out how he was going to get Alya to spill the beans on Marinettte's crush. He had approached the auburn girl several times that week trying to get her to slip up without revealing he was only interested in Marinette's "man of interest." This had proved impossible as Alya was both socially sharp and quite protective of Marinette's feelings. She didn't fall for any of his anime-inspired tactics and had shown some suspicion towards his motives. That had been a tangle to get out of.

Even Nino hadn't been much help, stating that he was going to stay out of it and that the answer was probably staring at him in the face. No help whatsoever.

The boy couldn't just go up to Marinette and ask her directly, either. Adrien Agreste didn't know she liked someone; Chat did. It felt wrong to even consider asking; like he were betraying her trust in him or something. He was her friend. Someone who cared for her in a platonic way. It was _Chat Noir_ who wanted to know, not him... Because Chat was _curious_... Not _jealous_. Because he only loved _Ladybug_.

That's why he began watching her whenever she interacted with any boys at school. It put him in somewhat of a testy mood whenever Nathaniel or guys outside of their class talked to her. She was friendly to each and never acted differently towards those boys which was a relief. Some part of him worried the guy she liked might be from another school. Adrien couldn't just follow her around after school with his photo shoots and private lessons to go to. Stalki—" _protectively following_ " her as Chat could only be done at night when she was already home, so that wasn't much help, either. He tried to be more social with her which didn't always end well. Almost every time they got to talk, someone would either interrupt them (usually Lila or Chloe), or she'd suddenly start stammering and rush out of the room in a blaze.

Adrien growled out as he threw his hands up in the air, "Seriously, who the hell does she like!?"

Plagg bit back a cackle from his resting place on the boy's pillow where he pretended to be asleep. The cat raised one lazy eye to watch the blond. "I think it's pretty obvious."

The boy jerked his head to the side, staring intently at the black cat. "You know who it is?" It was obvious?

"I might...or I might not." Plagg stretched and twisted his body into a weird position that only a cat would find comfortable. "Look, Kid. Why are ya worrying about who that girl likes? I thought you liked Ladybug?"

"I do! I'm just...looking out for Marinette. She's my friend, okay? I don't want her getting hurt because of some nobody. She's very kind, gentle, cute, shy. She's...innocent."

Plagg yawned, taking his time to question this. "And how exactly would he hurt her?"

"H-he might take advantage of her kindness or trick her into doing something she wasn't ready for. Or maybe he's really mean and would treat her like crap. He could be a player! It would break her heart. Cause her to become an akuma victim! Fighting Chloe was difficult. Fighting Marinette would be impossible!" Couldn't Plagg see the seriousness of the situation at hand!? "I want to make sure the guy she likes is right for her. That he'll treat her well and with respect. He should love only her, be a friend when she needs one, catch her when she falls, protect her when there's danger, and do whatever he can to see her smile."

The kwami groaned and rolled over, leaving his back to the smiling boy, "Your romantic feelings are giving me an upset stomach. Whatever you figure out, when the last horse crosses the finish line, let me know and I'll have plenty to tease you about." He closed his eyes, ready for more sleep.

Adrien scoffed and crossed his arms. "They're not _romantic feelings_. They're **platonic** ones, Plagg," he said flatly.

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Kid. I'll believe you never."

OwO

Alya was practically bouncing up and down as she waited outside the empty stadium. Marinette had told her where to meet the heroes and when they'd arrive. She was a tad early, but it was understandable. This time she was more prepared for the interview and had Nino's camera to use rather than just her phone. Chat's interview was scheduled first as Ladybug had some personal matters to attend to first, which was a lucky beak. That slick cat wasn't very alert compared to his partner, so getting some juicy information out of him would be a cinch. Marinette had given her several questions to ask the hero in particular, but Alya had a few of her own, plus a few from curious fans.

"Hey there, Ladyblogger." A voice greeted her from behind. Alya turned to see Chat Noir slide down his extended baton. The lamp posts gave her plenty of light in the dimming sky to see the leather-clad hero. He gave her a friendly wave and a cheerful smile. "Alya, right? Princess told me you were wanting some interviews with Ladybug and meow. Shall we go inside?"

"Of course!" She felt so giddy as they walked, picking a nicely lit area in the stands to set up. The heroes made sure to ask beforehand to use the stadium for the evening, so they wouldn't be trespassing. Not that getting in on their own was impossible. But using the facilities and lights without permission would be a bit rude. "By the way, who's Princess?"

"Hm?" he cocked his head to the side. While she was setting up the tripod, he had been patiently leaning on his staff. His answer was simple and without much thought. "Marinette."

 _'He said it so easily.'_ Alya paused, pushing up her glasses. "You call Mari "Princess," do you?" An all-knowing smirk slowly stretched across the journalist's lips. "How... _cute_."

Chat wasn't sure how he felt about Alya's reaction to this, but quickly forgot after began pinning a small microphone to his suit; one for each of them. They were wireless clip-ons. "So um...I'm just a curious cat...but does the Princess have someone she likes?" He wasn't going to beat around the bush this time. When Alya glanced up at him questionably, he stumbled over his next words. "Sh-she kept mentioning a guy she liked but didn't give a name. I was just curious about what he was like and if I could give her some...pointepurrs o-or something. S-sense I'm a guy and all."

Uh-huh. Sure. "I suppose I could drop a few hints after the interview if it goes well." A satisfying answer. "By the way, if you could name your own blog, what would it be?"

The male thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers, "Chat's Chat."

Alya typed it out in her phone for later, "That would be _purrfect_ for a guy like you."

"Not bad...fur an amature. Purrhapse you'll learn a fur things from this cat if you'll purrmit me." The hero sat down in a lazy and relaxed position in one of the chairs with his legs propped up atop the row of seats in front, his fingers laced together. There was a playful smirk plastered to his face.

"Hey, Everyone, this is your favorite Ladyblogger, Alya. I'm here with Chat Noir to answer all those curious questions you've been sending me about this little kitty. And as some of you have been wondering, I'm planning on making a blog dedicated to him as well as his fan-base has been steadily growing. Now Chat," she began, catching the boy's attention. "People truthfully know very little about you compared to Ladybug. Some people consider you a lady's man or a flirt-" " _I'm not_!" "-or a lovable goofball." Well, he was okay being a lovable goofball, at least. "But that's what today's interview is about. Getting to know the real Chat Noir."

"Okay, first question: Why cat puns and all the other jokes?"

Chat grinned. This was an easy one. "It's to lighten the mood, mostly. My life is pretty restricted without the mask, but with it, I can be whoefur I want and do whatefur I want. It's a freedom that leaves me feline so happy I just blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. Aaand it's to lighten the load on Ladybug and I."

Alya leaned in a bit. "Can you elaborate?"

"Certain fights against akuma can be...darkepurr or more tiring than I'd like, especially some of the more recent ones. Akuma victims get hurt emotionally and physically. Their situations may diffur but their emotions all manipulated by Hawkmoth. Ladybug is more sensitive than she lets on which is why I try to make her smile with bad jokes. And I meow fur a FACT that she finds some of them to be funny, because she'll sometimes turn her head paway quickly. I've caught her reflection a few times where she was trying to hide a smile. Besides, I'm a supurrhero who dresses as a cat. How can I NOT make cat jokes? I'm pawsome at it! Oh, and you can expect this interview to be Chat full of cat puns!" He gave her a playful wink.

Alya suppressed a groan at the pun and warning. " _Oh joy_. And the sightings of you dancing on the streets of Paris?"

A smug, cheshire grin appeared on his face and his eyes sparkled in delight. "I'm an irresistible distraction in and of itself. Not to mention a _fantastic_ dancer. I can't help it if all those akuma focus on me."

"Well, you're certainly an eye-catcher," she commented dryly causing him to take a "dashing" pose in his seat.

"Speaking of dressing as a cat...a few eyewitnesses have noticed that you often act like one. Any explanation?"

"Well...my power does give me many cat-like abilities such as balance, flexibility, heightened reflexes, a slightly better sense of smell, night vision, and supurr-hearing," he cupped one of the ears atop his head as if listening to something. "It wouldn't be surpurrising if I took on certain habits as well."

The auburn arched a brow, "Wait...those aren't just for decoration? I thought they were fake."

"Nope!" he made a popping noise at the end of the word. "They're fully functional...and fake." He raked his clawed fingers through his mop of hair to reveal human ears underneath.

"How does that work exactly?" Alya probed.

The cat shrugged. "Magic." The answer for everything!

Alya was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Speaking of magic, when I was akumatized, I supposidly tried to remove Ladybug's mask but couldn't. She said something about magic. Is that how you guys get your suits on?"

"Something like that," he answered vaguely. "Next question?"

She clicked her tongue. He really was being cautious about what he revealed. The reporter had hoped Chat wouldn't be as alert as Ladybug but he might actually be a tough egg to crack. But she had other means of getting what she wanted.

"Can you tell us how old you are or at the very least, your birthday?

He hummed in thought. "I can't tell you my purrthday, but I can say that I'm a Leo and that I'm under 16."

"A Leo? That explains a lot. So, were you able to celebrate your birthday with Ladybug?"

"Sort of. We had an akuma fight that day and she's not one fur sharing purrsonal infurmation, so she didn't know," he gave a halfhearted shrug, missing the chance at punning the last word. It really would have been nice to hear his lady say, "Happy Birthday, Chat," but just seeing her that day brightened his mood. Plus having Nino go so far to make him happy was enough-if not a little overboard by becoming an akuma, kidnapping all the adults, sending them up into space, and forcing everyone to party-hardy against their will.

"That kinda sucks. Maybe you two could pick a day to celebrate both of your birthdays. Like a one-day celebration or anniversary for being heros."

Chat smiled warmly at the idea. "I'll have to ask her. Thank you."

"Other than saving Paris, what are your hobbies, skills, interests, and favorite foods? ...Or least favorite? Also, PLEASE ease up on the puns before I bash your face in with the camera."

"Meowch," he chuckled. "Alright I'll ease up a litter."

"I love watching anime. I usually go fur story-line rather than any specific genera. I also love Jagged Stone's music, especially his newest album. I enjoy spending any time I can with LB, howefur short. I think cats are cute. I pawlay basketball. I'm pretty fluent in Chinese and I can pawlay the piano. I'm not too bad with a sword which comes in handy in a fight. I also love pastries; croissants being my favorite. The Dupain-Cheng bakery has the _best_ croissants EVER! I'd love to learn how to bake sometime. Sadly I don't get much choice in what I'm aloud to eat most of the time." It was more of a list, really. And his least favorite food? Camembert! But he couldn't exactly say that when he had been known to ask around for it. Stupid Plagg and his stupid, stinky cheese!

"Why? Do you have food allergies or something?"

A hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. It wouldn't be too revealing to answer that one, right? "No...I just...have a strict diet. It doesn't exactly cover my extracurricular activities as a hero, though." Chat quickly lowered his hand when he realized he was falling into his civilian habit. "But I've got boundless energy and motivation that it's not a problem."

"Hmm. What's it like at home, outside of the mask?"

A prickle of pain rose in his chest but was not visible on his calm face or in his smooth voice. It was like commenting on the weather. Something he was used feeling and hiding as Adrien, though Chat was more outgoing and expressive of his thoughts and feelings. "You ever hear that Papa Roach song, _"This house is not a home?"_ It's kinda the same concept. It hasn't been a home for a while now. There's a lot of space but nobody to fill it. Just cold, empty rooms and a long list of rules. But as for what _I'm_ like..." Chat tapped his chin in a showy, cheerful way as though his other answer never happened. "I'd have to say I'm furry reserved. Not quite the charmer, but still charming. A little shy and polite, but furry sweet. I don't have a vast number of close friends, but the few I do have, I cherish."

Alya wasn't sure if she should push farther into his mention of his living quarters. His strict diet and possibly unhappy home might be a sensitive topic for him. Plus she didn't want this interview to go too dark or depressing. At least his description of himself sounded interesting. It was very different from the publicly known Chat Noir. "You make yourself sound like the princely type."

He chuckled, "I might be."

"Moving on; what are your personal thoughts about Ladybug? Do you have any cute pet names for her?"

The leather tail flickered and he sat up, clearly eager to answer this one. "She's meow-nificent! She's brave and kind and smart, not to mention strong. There are times it feels as though there's nothing she can't do. At times she can be a little demanding, but I love that about her as well. She might brush off my felines and flirting, but I meow she'll fall fur me...someday." He felt so giddy just thinking about her. "Even though she's the only one who can purify the akuma, she still thinks of me as her partner, not some sidekick like the media keeps saying." His giddy attitude turned into a warm smile. "She works hard to keep people safe, often times putting herself in danger. But that's why I'm here. To protect her; and I'll protect her with all my nine lives if I must."

"And the pet names?"

"Oh, right! I sometimes call her LB, My Lady, or my personal favorite, Bugabuu." The interviewer nodded a few times. "That last one helped identify me when Copycat tried to take my place."

"Off the record, do you often give nicknames to other people?" she asked out-of-the-blue.

"Hm? Only with the akumatized as far as I can recall. They're pretty fun to come up with and they really annoy some of them which is fun."

"I see... Off the record, if you're not a flirt-" "I said I'm not!" "-and you only give nicknames to Ladybug and the akumatized, then why do you call Marinette " _Princess_ "?" Chat visibly stiffened. Alya was literally at the edge of her seat with her head rested casually atop her propped-up hands. A smug smile was in clear view. "You don't by chance know her outside the suit, do you?" Chat hadn't uttered a _word_. The muscles under his suit tensed even more and his tail was still. "Or maybe you like her?"

At the mere mention of the word "like," his face went through several vibrant shades of red and he seemed to snap out of his still posture and silent attitude. The pretty, cat-like eyes Marinette claimed he had were now large orbs full of panic. "I DON'T! Sh-she's just a friend! I don't like her! I-I mean I like her, but as a friend! I love Ladybug! I'd never betray her! You're trying to trick me, aren't you!?"

Alya could hardly talk over her own shaking form. She was doing so well not to laugh at him. Teasing this cat was beyond fun. Her BFF would be just as entertaining once they had some private girl-time later. Alya would drag her out of bed if she had to. "Th-then why do you call her "princess?" You admitted to being the princely type at home. Wouldn't that make her _your_ princess?"

" _NO_!" He still looked so spooked crouched on top of the seat he had been sitting in. If only his tail were real. Alya was sure it would be very fluffy in the state he was in. "I-I call her that because she is sweet and kind a-and cute. If someone needs a friend to lean on, she's always there. Plus she lives at the top of a building that kinda looks like a tower from one angle. It doesn't help that she has a habit of showing up near several akuma fights. I've had to save her once or twice already; so I'm just...hyper aware of her existe-s-safety. I mean safety!" Oh how he wanted to crawl into a deep, dark-possibly bottomless-hole and rot. Ladybug can purify akuma and beat up Hawkmoth without him.

The female teen let out an agreeable hum. No effort was made to hide her wide smile at his discomfort and expressions towards Marinette. Yes...the two girls would have a _very_ long girl-chat. "You know, you _can_ like more than one person, Chat. There's no shame in that. And love can switch from one person to another without you realizing it." He just burred his head in his hands so she continued. "It's how you find out which feelings feel more right. More real."

When he still gave no response from his clear embarrassment, she decided to finally throw him a bone. Or fish bone, in his case. "You asked who Mari liked, right?" she asked with a sigh.

Two of his fingers parted to reveal an eye. "You'll...tell me?"

"For a price."

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO

Ho ho! Will the kitty find out who Marinette's crush is in the next chapter, or will he be just as oblivious as before?


	7. Ch 7: Obsession

**Observation**

Sorry it has taken so long. Been working overtime, sleeping the day away, and working on pictures for my D&D group. I'm still new to doing art on a computer, so it's taking me a while to get used to the various brushes and buttons. Not to mention I have to have at least one character pic for each person by this Sunday and I'm only ½ done. It's also the reason this one is so short. Sorry again. I promise I'll make it up to you guys with a nice long chapter and a Ladrien moment.

The other reason it's taken me a while was because my original idea for payment didn't work out, so I had to think of another price for Chat to pay.

 **Chapter 7: Obsession**

"A price?" he asked, uncertain. Of course she wasn't just going to sequel Marinette's secret willy-nilly, but having her actually say there would be a cost left him feeling as though there were a heavy rock in his stomach.

"Of course! You don't think I'd just hand over secret information without gaining something in return, do you? Now then..." Alya stopped the recording on her phone, ignoring the recorder on the tripod. She needed a moment to think, and she had other reasons for stopping the recording on her phone.

Hmm... What to ask for, what to ask...? She could ask that he...no, no, he'd never agree to it. What about? No, that wouldn't work either, though it's not a bad idea for a future cost.

Alya thought long and hard about what to charge him when suddenly a light bulb went off in her head at the mere thought of the topic at hand.

Oh ho ho! Yeeeessss...! That would do nicely. "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you, Chat." Rhetorical as they come. Chat shifted in his seat with crossed arms, weary of where she was going with this. "Flirts and passes roll right off of you with confidence. I think it's time you put your charisma to good use, Kitty Cat. I want you...to help my Mari confess to her crush."

A few moments of silence passed. Chat was certain his brain had stopped working "Wait, what?"

Alya gave him a sly look. "You heard me. Marinette has a huge crush on a boy in our school, but she can hardly talk to him, much less confess."

"... _What_?" he asked again, resisting the urge to shove a clawed finger in his ear in case it was clogged. He must have misheard her— _twice_ —because it sounded like she was asking him to help Marinette confess to a boy he didn't know. A boy Chat had been asking about in order to (secretly) keep him away from her.

The girl rolled her eyes. "You were the one who said you could help her and give her pointers before the interview started, remember? This is just an official exchange of service. So, are you going to pay the price or no? Either way she'll eventually tell him, with or without your guidance. But with your help, maybe she'll be more confident in herself and when interacting with others. So...your answer?"

This time it was his turn to be deep in thought. His teeth pinched the inner part of his bottom lip, rolling the flesh between them as he thought of the pros and cons of this agreement. The boy wouldn't deny—to himself at least—that he disliked the thought of sweet Marinette liking some boy. The thought of her confessing to the guy and hanging out with him rather than Chat's alter-ego was less than appealing.

It had taken him almost a year to get close enough to hang out with the second friend he had made since entering the school. Their unpleasant first encounter had been a horrible misunderstanding to which he worked hard to fix. They were on easy speaking terms now. ...Or as easy as you could get with Marinette when she'd constantly stutter, mix up her words, clam up, or run away.

But if she got together with this stranger, then the time they could spend together would be halved. The time they had now was already short and far from frequent. She was fun to hang out with, a master at Ultimate Mecha Strike 3, she had a warm and welcoming family, and kind attitude. And her designs! If her other designs were as good as that hat she had made, he'd love to see them one day. But if that chance was taken away from him...

Chat scowled and tried to focus on the pros. The cons were already winning by a landslide in his opinion and he couldn't see much chance in agreeing to the deal. He let out a short breath of air and focused.

Pro... Pro... _He'd get to spend time with her._ It would be as Chat, but it would still be time together none the less. That thought alone seemed to knock out a good portion of the cons. His eyes closed at the vivid interactions they could have. Maybe he could make her forget all about that other guy. It would be nice to boost her confidence as well. He knew she could be pretty brave and calculative as the class president, but Alya was right, Marinette was still a shy girl at heart. Chat vaguely wondered if he helped her be more confident, would she show it to Adrien? Would she open up more? Would they get to hang out more?

Even as the cons clearly outnumbered the pros, Chat nodded. "I'll teach her the _purr_ fect way to capture a guy's attention and be more confident." Alya smiled triumphantly until a lingering, "but," was said. "I don't promise to help her get together with this guy she likes. I'll just help her show the world how amazing she is."

The auburn let out a breath of frustration, but after a moment of observing Chat, finally smiled."Alright. Deal! You'll probably have to meet with her at night since that's when she's usually at home."

"I'm cool with that. Princess will be a cool cat like me in no time. Now, about _your_ part of the deal?"

A pleased smile appeared at her work so far. Hopefully Marinette could handle this "cool cat" better than she could Adrien. "I won't tell you his name, but I'll say this: he's completely oblivious to her feelings towards him. He is a nice guy who is honest and loyal towards his friends; but...I'm not sure if he really is that clueless to her or if he's just pretending not to notice, because she's _really_ obvious about liking him. I think most of the class knows she likes him. However she hasn't confessed yet because she's too shy or she misses her chance. She even let one of her hand-made presents get stolen by someone else as a gift to him because he was happier thinking it was from that other person." the teen shook her head at the memory. "And she gets so upset whenever another girl gets close to him, and there are a LOT of girls who try to get close to him. I've tried to help them get together, but this ship doesn't seem to be sailing anytime soon."

"She...did that just to make him happy? The gift, I mean." Alya looked up to find the hero had lowered his hands from his face. She couldn't make out his eyes with the shadow cast by his hair. "That sounds just like her. But...that must have hurt her. She's really too nice sometimes, especially towards a guy who doesn't notice how she feels."

Alya hummed with a knowing smirk She could see how tight his fists were. The sound of the leather was audible at the display. "I wouldn't say he doesn't notice her sweet personality. He just doesn't notice her love. They have quite a bit in common, but they don't get to spend much alone time together. They did almost kiss once, but that was set up for something."

Chat felt his teeth grind together at this. He was showing too much for what was supposed to be a private interview. Adjusting himself once more in his seat, he took on a different position. More relaxed and laid back with laced claws resting on his stomach. A playful and smug smirk reached his lips. Top model quality. "I'll see what I can do. But for now, we have an interview to finish, yes?"

The reporter grinned and pulled out her phone again. "How much do you know about ladybug outside her mask?"

The interview went on without a hitch. He was honest and charming in his opinions, and vague where needed on the facts and secrets. It was obvious in her questioning that Alya was fishing for more secrets or juicy details in her questions. The male refused to be fooled twice, however, and focused on keeping his facial expression in check; pausing before answering her questions just to make sure he didn't blurt out anything too important.

After a few minutes, his eyes darted to the side to see his lady enter the field. Alya fallowed his gaze, knowing her time with Chat was now up. Alya turned her camera around. "Well, that's all the time we have for this interview, folks. If you haven't already, take a look at Ladybug's new interview on the Ladyblog and look forward to keeping an eye on Chat Noir's blog, Chat's Chat for new information about out Feline hero." Chat waved goodbye to the other recording device. "And don't forget to keep an eye out for the special interview featuring BOTH heroes that I'll be releasing in a few days. This is Alya Cesaire sighing off."

Both recordings were stopped allowing Chat to stand up and stretch his stiff limbs. The reporter watched his muscles flex with some fascination and another question for later popped into her head. "So, why are you posting the duel interview later?" The question had her looking up at the cat who's attention was not on her, but on the heroine who made her way up the stands; a warm smile plastered on his face.

"Publicity, anticipation, and excitement. Having the two interviews will give the blog a hype of attention and views. And more people will keep an eye on the blog during the few days to see when the new interview will be up. Think of a demo to an awesome game. An excited few want to play, reviews come out of their experience with it, and then more people are willing to play the actual release."

"Smart." Alya puffed out her chest proudly. "Now, if you'll excuse my leave, you've got a bug to talk to, and I've got a Lady go greet."

Chat didn't waist any time reaching his Lady. He didn't bother with talking the rows or isles to reach her, but instead walked atop the tops of the chairs with his arrogant, happy, swagger; balancing perfectly as he bee-lined towards her; the ever-so-smug smile on his face. Ladybug stopped, seeing he was already on his way with his hands linked together behind him. One hand perched on her hip, patiently.

 _'Here we go,'_ she thought as he reached her, taking a dramatic bow and kissing her hand. Such a gentleman.

"My Lady." Ladybug rolled her eyes and retracted her hand, though not too quickly, he noted.

"You were careful, right?" she asked, more than aware of how driven Alya could be at gathering intel on any little thing that interested her.

"Of course. Everything was either unidentifiable, vague, or the explanation of everything... _magic_." Truly the best escape to most questions involving them, their suits, or their powers. "Be sure to keep on your toes, LB. This reporter is on her game with leading the direction of the interview." His warning had her give him a nod followed by a suspicious look. A pair of hands went up in defense. "Hey! I said I was a good kitty, didn't I?"

Ladybug sighed, "You did. But knowing Alya, you probably gave her more than you know."

Chat nervously rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sheepish chuckle. There was no way he was going to admit to being tricked so easily or led into a deal like that. He had an image to keep with his lady. It was certain she wouldn't approve of frequent meetings with a civilian when he could be patrolling the city. She'd probably warn him that his identity could be compromised or something. At least he could play off the situation with Marinette as totally harmless service. Maybe he could tell her it's a thank you for helping him against that one akuma.

...Or he could just blame this all on Alya.

"Well it's my turn, so keep a distance. I don't want you eavesdropping on everything, "off the record"."

The male leaned forward. "Oh? Worried I might overhear about your unending attraction towards meow, Bugaboo?" He wiggled his eyebrows for added effect and was rewarded with a snort and a tug of her lips. The closeness gave her the pleasant smell of leather, mint, and some kind of expensive cologne.

"You wish, Kitty." Gently her finger pushed his face back. "I like guys for more than just their looks. Now behave yourself." The red-colored hero waved him off and hurried over to the interviewer who had been adjusting the equipment to look busy while secretly watching them.

Chat didn't hide the goofy grin as he watched her leave. "As you wish, M'Lady."

Some ways away, he had taken his seat. It was just far enough not to be able to listen in, but close enough that he could hear if they got loud. It was also the perfect spot to watch the love of his life without having to dodge pesky akuma or shimmying along the high-tops of Paris while on patrol

Speaking of which...

The superhero pulled out his baton and opened the screen to play the news. It had been a few days since the last akuma attack. Best to keep an eye out just in case...even if his eyes would wander over to the pretty lady across the stands.

(OwO)

Elsewhere in Paris, a young man and woman stood arguing. It was clear to be more one-sided as the woman, furious with the man, stomped her foot and pointed to the paper card in the man's hand. Her other hand went to her bulging stomach. The man wasn't nearly as angry as she was. His feelings and words were closer to that of someone trying to explain their case. A provider who surely had a winning ticket.

"That money was for our child's future and you blew it off on gambling and lotto tickets!?" Though there was a fire in her tone, her voice cracked as if to hold back a sob.

"But Sarah, this IS for our family! Once I win big, his future will be set for life! We could have a big house and even bigger family! The chance of me winning is so high right now. I can feel it! I even found my grandfather's lucky rabbit's foot! See? This time, I'll win for sure!"

"NO! I've had enough of this, Michael! We're already in debt! I won't let you drag this family down any farther. If that card doesn't give us back the money you wasted to spend for your own, _selfish_ , bad habit, then we're through!" She stormed, or rather, waddled off.

"SARAH!" He called to her, but his voice fell on deaf ears. The man looked down at his ticket, his voice dropping low enough for only himself to hear. "I'll win this time. You'll see."

Michael walked off to the park to sit at one of the benches. Looking down at the rabbits foot clenched in his hands, then to the ticket, he inhaled slowly and exhaled. The gambler picked up a coin and scratched at the card.

"Come on...come on... please. _Pleeease_!"

All the numbers were revealed at last. He gasped, staring down at card in horror. "No... _NO_! _Not again!"_

Across the city, a window opened up to a dark room full of luminescent, white butterflies and a lone man in a suit. A smug smirk passed Hawkmoth's lips.

"Ah, the pain and realization of loosing everything you love because of a stroll of bad luck. One should never have too many obsessions. It's the perfect pool of anguish and desperation for an akuma to fester in and soon he''ll be mine to command." he opened up his hand for a butterfly to land on. Cupping it between his palms, the beautiful bug took on an evil dark glow and took off. "Go, my little akuma. Give this man the last chance he desires and evilize him!"

The pleasant night was warm with a gentle breeze. Quite a few people and tourists walked the streets, enjoying themselves, oblivious to what was above them and the danger that would lie before them. The akuma flew over the streets of Paris, to the pitiful man crying on a park bench. Passers by chose not to interact, not wanting to get involved in whatever problems the man might have. They had their own lives to live, so none spared him a second look and none saw the quiet insect land in his lucky rabbits foot.

"Good evening, Doctor Lucky. I am Hawkmoth and I have a deal for you you can't refuse. I've felt your pain. You wish to provide for your family more than you could on your own meager salary, so you decided to try your luck but to no avail. Those around you seem to be swimming in it, while you on the other hand... But don't worry. I can help you have all the luck in the world if you'll help me a little in return. All I ask is for Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous. Do we have a deal?"

Doctor Lucky grinned. "Deal."


	8. Ch 8: What's Yours is Mine

Observation

I'm actually dividing this chapter into two because it was actually pretty long. Also because I only have this part done and a fraction of the other one in bits and pieces based on banter between LB and CN. And as it was taking me so long to get it written, what with applying to a new job, the interview, and working on art for an upcoming show, I haven't had much time to write. Hence the split.

There WILL be an akuma fight in the next chapter that I'm very excited for. I'll even have a small preview for the next chapter at the bottom of this one.

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter and story in a review when you're done reading. And if you can, tell me which is your favorite episode in the series or your favorite part. Do you have more than one? I'd love to know! Mine would have to be the Evillustrator episode where Chat interacts with Chloe after Ladybug has left. His frustration with her is more evident as Chat and hilarious. The second, is the one with the mime who was in the 2D anime version of Miraculous. His whole character outfit and abilities were awesome and interesting.

POLL! I made one. You all can choose what the next Miraculous story will be. You get two votes. It should be in my profile page.

Special thanks:

HopelessRomantic183:

Thank you for the detailed review! XD I've been reading up on various descriptions of the characters, how they act, and why. It's evident in the show that Tikki and Plagg are aware of the other hero's identity as they occasionally drop hints throughout the show, all of which are overlooked or ignored by their chosen. Plus it is relieved that they can sense other kwami.

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO

 **Chapter 8: What's Yours is Mine**

Green eyes flickered from the two girls across the stadium to the screen in his hand. The news anchor had just announced the appearance of an akuma to the far north. Chat licked his lips and looked back up to Ladybug who was listening to a question. He knew better than to shout and disrupt the interview. Even if his career was only part-time, he was still a professional.

"So, Ladybug, quite a few fans have been asking...are you single? If not, do you have someone you like? And what are they like?"

A hero's mask had several benefits. One: it was a piece of their armor and helped protect their face. Two: it hid their identity which was the most important reason. Villains, Hawkmoth, paparazzi—and Alya—would be all over them if they were found out. And third: it could hide some of the more persistent of blushes. Too bad she didn't have something to cover her red ears.

Ladybug didn't answer right away. She didn't want to pull a Marinette, so her lips formed a thin line as she considered how to answer. "...I am single, yes. ...I-I also do have someone I lo- _like_! I can't tell you much about them for their own safety as well as mine." Where to begin? "He is very handsome, b-but that's just one of his many qualities. He's kind to everyone, even if they don't necessarily deserve it," Chloe popped into her head at this. "Regardless of the situation, he always treats people fairly and gives them the benefit of the doubt. He stays loyal to his friends and works hard help them if they need it. Plus he's really smart and talented."

"Ooh, sounds like an ideal guy. I'm sure there's going to be a few heartbroken guys after this; your partner included."

This got a chuckle out of the bug. "Chat isn't actually in love with-" her yo-yo beeped, "-me." She glanced down at the green light that flashed on the center dot and looked for her partner. There was a small worry he had been listening in, but when she spotted him standing atop one of the seats waving his baton she let out a breath. "Looks like the interview will have to end here."

Alya hummed, a little bummed but she understood. "Well, you heard it folks. Single but interested. Will someone else capture this Lady's heart? Stay tuned to the Ladyblog for the duel interview in a few days and don't forget to take a look at Chat Noir's new blog, Chat's Chat. Till next time, this is Alya Cesaire keeping you informed on all Ladybug news."

"Sorry it had to be so short," Ladybug apologized while standing up. "Will you be fine getting home this late?" She was a little worried Alya might try to follow after them, but with the camera equipment, and a valuable interview to back up from her phone, it might be safe to say she'd actually go straight home.

"It's fine, I figured this might happen. It just means I'll have a few more questions for next time. I guess we'll have to get my friend to reschedule another time. And I'll be fine getting home. I've been out at _much_ later hours before." She said that almost as if she were boasting. Ladybug frowned, smothering out the grumble that threatened to escape her throat.

"Of _course_ you have..." Leave it up to Alya to be out and about at odd hours to record Ladybug. "Chat and I can contact her another time. Stay safe and bug out!" The red hero gave her a short wave before jumping down to the grounds to go join Chat.

(OwO)

The two darted across the rooftops of Paris towards the epicenter of the recent attack. According to the news, the akumatized victim had introduced himself as Doctor Lucky and had caused quite a bit of inexpiable mayhem to the people around him. The two miraculous users had somewhat of in idea given his name, but they couldn't be sure until they actually faced him.

It didn't take too long to find the place. It was filled with people going crazy and running away from random things. Some hid, but others, who seemed to be incredibly uncoordinated, were trying to get as far away as possible. They'd trip over the silliest of things, or would run into whatever happened to be their way. One woman was being attacked with fresh pigeon poop, another had torn his shorts to reveal...he preferred going commando, and another gentleman was freaking out on the phone over some business issue. Only the few who hid didn't seem to be having quite as bad of a day as the others...probably because they weren't moving around.

Chat landed in the middle of the street, Ladybug beside him. "Um, is it just me or do the people seem to be freaking out more from what's happening around them than the actual akuma?"

"Maybe his power gives people bad luck. Or he takes it." A plausible assumption given his name. Many past akuma had similar parasitic abilities where they absorbed things from the people around them. Hopefully this akuma couldn't actually _steal_ luck. That would be worse than giving bad luck.

Ladybug hurried over to some of the civilians hiding behind a dumpster. "Hey, do you guys know where the akuma is?"

All three pointed down the street. "He went that way!" "He said something about trying his luck." "Please stop him, Ladybug! He steals peoples luck! He said so!"

Well, it was now confirmed. Ladybug nodded to them. "Don't worry. We'll handle this. Just keep yourselves safely hidden for now. Come on, Chaton. I think he's going to the Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains"

"But my lady, I'm too young to gamble. Though I'm not too bad at poker," he added, winking at her, "In fact, I'd love to play a _private_ game with you." He was rewarded with a visible blush, much to his glee.

"Neither am I, but we've got a job to do, _purr_ -vert" she fussed, refusing his offer while ignoring the heat that traveled to certain regions of her body that shan't be named. Stupid teenage hormones."And I'd rather not know where you learned to gamble."

"The internet," he said innocently.

Why was she not surprised? " _Of_ _course_... Now come on!"

(OwO)

The Casino Barrière d'Enghien-les-Bains was a mid-sized casino north of the heart of Paris and located near a water source with spurting fountains and pretty lights. With two hotels and two restaurants and a theater, it was an ideal place for tourists and anyone too drunk to go home. There was a small fee to enter and attire ranged from casual to semi-classy, despite how fine the establishment looked on the inside. 450 machines and 42 betting tables and two bars made up the inside of the casino.

In short, it was a fine place to relax and play. Yet as Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived, they were greeted with a surprising sight. Everything...

Was totally _normal_.

No akuma.

Or at least, no terror and destruction left in the wake of a pissy akuma with an agenda. No screaming for help, bizarre side effects, or maniacal laughter. Did they get it wrong? Was he going someplace else?

The pair looked at each other and walked up inside. Still everything seemed normal even as they went up to the front desk. The man at the counter raised a brow at the appearance of the heroes. They obviously weren't old enough to be there.

Chat hooked an arm around the counter and leaned into it with one ankle casually crossed over the other."S'cuse me, buddy, but have you seen an akuma enter here? Probably brightly colored, wearing some ridiculous suit, and boasting their plans for the world to hear, or threatening to harm someone…. We gotta go beat him up!"

Ladybug silently rolled her eyes. She wondered if he had said that on purpose, or if it was accidental.

"Besides you? No, I haven't," the man answered flatly. "I just run the front desk for the hotel and information crevice. You could check with Frank over in security. They've got cameras...to you know...watch people?"

"Thanks." His one word came out a little more dry than he meant, but the man at the desk seemed not to care too much.

"First door to your right, head down the hall. It'll be on your left with a sign."

(OwO)

Indeed there was someone named Frank in the security room wearing a bullet resistant vest over his uniform with the casino's name and "SECURITY" written on the front and back. As they approached the room, another man could be heard screaming his lungs out. This new man, much shorter and a bit tubbier, looked to be in charge of the hotel, or at the very least, higher on the food chain than poor Frank. Poor Frank with his coffee-stained trousers. The duo stood at the open doorway, watching the scene unfold, noting only seconds into it that all of the TV monitors were black. It was starting to become clear what may have happened, if the man's loud yelling wasn't already a dead giveaway.

Ladybug cleared her throat loudly but the man didn't seem to hear her over his own voice. Being the gentleman that he was, Chat didn't want his lady to strain her beautiful voice to get the man's attention. He pulled out and extended his baton, then reached over and tapped the loud man on the shoulder twice.

The whipped his head around and yelled "WHAT!?" The teens flinched. "O-oh. Ladybug. Chat Noir... To what do I owe the honor?"

Neither really wanted to be the first to speak, but the spotted hero stepped up. "We believe there's an akuma in the casino and were hopping to locate him quickly with your security cameras so as to minimize casualties."

The man's lips thinned. "Unfortunately, the cameras are all out thanks to this buffoon." Frank shrank down in his roll-y chair looking both embarrassed and quite sorry. "He somehow managed to rip out some of the wiring and we don't have anything to fix it at this time."

"Rip...out?"

"I-I...tripped over the cords after I spilled coffee on myself," he pointed to some of the cords near the wall that had been ripped from the head of the cord. The heads still stuck out of the outlets, sparking venomously where the wires were exposed.

"Yikes. That's shocking. At least you didn't get hurt, right?" Chat tried, and failed to lighten the guy's mood.

"Yeah, too bad," the short man muttered, glaring at his security guy.

Ladybug bit her lip after she examined the cords more closely. How unlikely it was for the rubber to tear and the wires to snap in such a way. They looked new. The chances were probably astronomical. Maybe. Or maybe she was overthinking it. Only one way to find out.

"You didn't by any chance encounter anyone strange before this happened, did you?"

"Huh? Um...I just came back from a smoke break outside and some guy wanted to bum a cigarette from me. Told me he wanted a quick smoke before trying out his luck." This wasn't accidental. "He didn't exactly look like an akuma or anything, though. A-assuming that's what you're implying?"

His boss's face puffed up to an interesting shade of red. "Employees are not to share cigarettes with guests, even during breaks. It's unprofessional."

"What _did_ he look like?" Ladybug asked, trying to speak over the other man's scoldings while Chat wrapped an arm around the shorter man's neck, pulling him to the side.

"Let's have a little _chat_ , cat to man," the male hero started. "Look, I know you're pretty pissed off what with all the _claw-_ full happenings: the monitors being off, and the cords sparking, and unprofessional smoke breaks, but the akuma we're after seems to steal people's luck from them. It's not this guy's fault. He never even said that he actually shared any. Just that the akuma asked him for some. That may be why he's having a string of bad luck. He was just following your rules like a good employee, when out of the blue...akuma! You can cut him some slack for today, right? Ladybug's power should set things right and fix the problem. We could really use his help to keep the casino side closed to visitors until we catch the akuma. The people like a joint that can keep them safe from such things, after all."

The short man grumbled at the idea but relented when Chat gave him his best kitten eyes. Well, it was probably because Ladybug also suggested the same thing, and seemed to have no problem looking more authoritative than the shorter man now that he was no longer yelling. But Chat liked to think it was his effort that truly swayed the man.

(OwO)

The inside of the casino was a flurry of lights and sounds. Bells rang for the few big winners while the majority fell on hits or misses. Waitresses carried out drinks to those on the floor while crowds moved about looking for a table or available slot. Dealers stood at each table, shuffling cards or manning the roulette tables

Ladybug didn't care much for the activity within the room. Even as she scanned over the heads of people, nobody really stood out. "It'll be hard to find him in this crowd."

Hard but not impossible. From Frank's description of the man, he wore a greet suit with darker green embroidered clovers on it. The pants were piss yellow with an orange grid, and his top short top hat was black with a green and gold ribbon. He also carried around a cane with a polished black stone on top. At least his shoes were a normal black.

"We could just clear everyone out," Chat suggested.

"And him along with them. He may also try to take a hostage. If we clear them out, it'll have to be done quietly and in small groups."

"Understood. Um...not to make things more difficult, but we kinda stand out like a couple of sore claws," he jerked his head over to some of the people taking pictures of the two. This was probably the closest these people had ever been to the heroes, and in a place like this, no less. If only the duo were old enough to be there without their suits, and familiar enough to not keep their identities secret from the other. "He'll know where here long before he sees us if these cats start talking."

Ladybug's lips formed a thin line as she looked at the people around them—who _clearly_ weren't taking pictures with their phones. "I've an idea but it wont make us entirely invisible."

Chat cocked his head to the side.

Ten minutes later, the duo returned, plan in action.

"Cosplay is so much fun, wouldn't you agree, Milady?" Chat purred into her ear. The heat caused her to blush and a shiver ran up her spine. The male grunted when she elbowed him to back off. "I'd love to dress up with you at an anime convention. I could be Naruto and you could be my Hinata."

How amazing it always felt when one could hide from the world or see it in a new perspective. From prince/prisoner-like status to paid servitude, it was a refreshing feeling. Chat adjusted the form-fitting vest, wishing just a bit that it wasn't so warm in the casino. His suit was completely covered with black slacks, a white, button-up shirt, and a white, blue, and black vest. A blue and black hat with a flat top covered his blond locks and perky cat ears. White gloves covered his black ones with his cuffs and claws sticking out. He glanced down to his outfit; the only thing that hadn't been covered were his steel-tipped boots and mask. He wasn't one to boast—as Adrien—but he looked _damn fine_ in this getup. Maybe Ladybug would like it, too.

His eyes fluttered over to the love of his life who was only a few feet away. Her own attire was far more appealing than his in his eyes. Form-fitting black slacks, a deep blue blouse that was only a few shades darker than her eyes, and finally a blue and white vest that held a similar cut to his own, but showed off some of Ladybug's more sexy curves, not that her skin-tight suit didn't already do that. If he hadn't been wearing his mask right then, he'd probably be lost in La La Land with a stupid grin plastered on his face.

It was kind of strange seeing Ladybug in normal clothes. A strong reminder that she was indeed a normal-amazing-civilian under that magic mask. Like him, her hands were also covered with white gloves and her feet were bare but for her suit, which meant other than her feet, only her mask revealed her identity as Ladybug. It was a strange sight, because in normal clothes, from behind, Ladybug reminded him of another girl.

"Focus, Chat. The casino is letting us borrow these uniforms to sneak up on him. We're here to do our job, not play around."

Her words didn't phase him in the slightest. "Or rather Tamaki and Haruhi... That would be more fitting for our _purr_ -sonalities. Plus I could openly flirt with you!" Oh how bright and cheerful he looked at this exciting revilation.

Ladybug groaned loudly and walked off into the crowd before he could say anymore. The cat just chuckled and took a different direction. "Maybe even Ayuzawa and Usui. Ladybug in a sexy maid outfit... ah, a dream come true!"

The lady in disguise was grateful to be in her suit. Had she been wandering around this place as Marinette, she would have tripped over sideways about five times by now. People dressed in nice or fancy clothes weaved around each other without any trouble. Several were dressed a little boldly as if their attire were a lucky set and twice she had thought she had found the akuma. Yet upon closer inspection, it had merely been bad taste in clothes. Hopefully she'd never have to deal with an akuma on Halloween or during a masquerade.

As she moved through the crowd, she stopped a few people, telling them to calmly leave the room. It helped with the crowd a bit, but it was still pretty busy.

A muffled beeping had her shoving her hand into her pants pocket for her yo-yo. "Did you find him?" she asked."

"No luck on this end. I've gotten a few people to leave, though. I'm going to start making my way towards your side and see if..." Chat trailed off and she stopped in her movement. Before she could check in to make sure everything was okay, his voice came back sounding more serious than before. "Found him. Middle of the room towards the back. "

"I'm on my way. Wait till I get there."

"Naw, I've got a pawesome idea to get close and find out where the akuma is hiding."

A sense of dread filled her. "Chat, no!"

"See you there, my Love Bug."

"Chat, wait! Chat?" He...he hung up on her! THAT STUPID CAT! Ladybug pushed through the crowd, not caring if she adjacently elbowed to get them to move. Hey, she was a short teenage girl in a room full of tall adults. How else was she supposed to move around without revealing herself? Maybe she'd give her partner a good elbowing as well.

OlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlWlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlOlO

Thanks for reading this chapter, and don't forget to review and vote in the poll for the next story.

 **Preview: Chapter 9: Luck be a Lady**

" _Well that was close."_

" _Too close. Be more careful."_

 _He shrugged and gave her a pleasant grin, "What can I say, I live for danger."_

" _Not if your dead," she countered, unimpressed._

 _The two jumped out of the way as part of the ceiling fell down; the earlier destruction having a hand to play, but not as much as the effect Ladybugs luck had. Dodging some of the larger debris, Ladybug filed to spot a nearby stool and tripped over it with a yelp of surprise. She face-planted into the carpet with a surprised squeak. As Marinette it was a familiar venture, but as Ladybug she should have been more careful. More graceful._

 _Looks like even her luck could run out as a large chunk of the ceiling fell towards her._

" _LADYBUG!_


	9. Ch 9: Luck be a Lady (Part 1)

So sorry it has taken so long to post. I was writing bits and pieces here and there in my spare time at work (during breaks). I really wanted this to be a decent fight as I don't write them often, so I was really picky about the content and trying to remember all the details of the room as well as the order in which things will happen. Then there was putting the pieces together to make them fit and flow well. At least I hope they flow well. Unfortunately, in order to get the chapter out, and because it was starting to get really long, I'm having to split the chapter into two parts. This one is already 7 pages long in Office.

Also, I assume most all of you have seen the newest episode of Miraculous, episode 16. (skip this part if you haven't caught up because of slight spoilers) Adrien is so damn adorable when teasing Marinette with that smug smirk. His Chat was showing. Glad he was able to translate her fumbled up words as well. I know a lot of people were excited thinking he knows she's LB, but I don't believe that's the case. Most likely he's just really happy someone he cherishes as a friend is a fan. He has—in the past—shown interest in her opinion of him as Chat Noir, so it's likely the case is the same here. Chat did tease LB about sharing her identity, then added "Not like that," when she tensed up. The only lies he's ever told to her were to keep his identity a secret. I doubt he'd lie about something that could endanger her or her friends and family if he were ever controlled (again) by an akuma's power or by Hawkmoth. I'm certain it was all fan-service (the teasing LB as Chat and again to Mari as Adrien). But I really hope I'm wrong and he did see her because how he'll act around Marinette will be hilarious.

 **Observation**

 **Chapter 9: Luck be a Lady (Part 1)**

* * *

There he was! That stupid and irresponsible Chat Noir was standing proudly before the akuma...as a dealer!

Indeed, Chat had managed to flag the original dealer at the table and switch with the man. He stood before the akuma and three other men with his head lowered. If it weren't for the shadow of the hat and low brim, his mask would have been painfully obvious. He kept on his toes, literally, to add to his height and make him look older. Luckily the akuma hadn't noticed just yet that the one dealing his hand was his enemy. The lack of the butterfly outline suggested Hawkmoth hadn't noticed either...yet. One of the other players looked a little confused, but the rest were either keeping quiet from realizing the situation or were blissfully unaware.

A Cheshire grin spread along the young male's face as he shuffled the cards with fluid movement; going so far as to do two tricks.

'Showoff,' she thought with a small smile.

As the cards were dealt, Ladybug couldn't help but notice the way his hands moved; slender and long, even with the casino gloves. Claws expertly glided across the cards without leaving a single scratch. His partner moved closer to the akuma, keeping to the rear so as not to be spotted. Silly as he was, Chat was giving her an opportunity to identify the akuma, and possibly lift it unnoticed. And many objects there were. A large four-leaf clover which was tucked in his hat, his cane which possessed a black, glowing stone—possibly the akuma or a power-filled weapon-a rabbits foot attached to his belt, barely peeked out of a side pocket, a bracelet with a multitude of shark or alligator teeth clung to his wrist and two back pockets that looked like they had some sort of heavy, ring-like objects. How many were display and how many were tools? Heck, the akuma could even be a lucky penny hidden away inside his breast pocket or something.

Chat tipped his hat towards the akuma and tilted his head, allowing his Lady to catch his gaze. An unspoken conversation was made and she nodded. With each person she passed as she neared, she whispered a warning to evacuate quietly and discreetly and to pass the message along.

Ladybug knew very little about poker, but from the number of chips Doctor Lucky began to accumulate and the groans as they were passed to him, it was clear who was winning. The akuma was acting quite smug with each new hand. This proved beneficial as he paid little to no attention to the thinning crowd around them.

"How 'bout one more hand, gentlemen?" Chat encouraged, shuffling the cards too quickly to follow. The three other men seemed reluctant until the hero turned his head towards them. They all nodded hesitantly. "You, especially seem like a lucky chap, Monsieur. Double or nothing?"

Doctor Lucky grinned and shoved all his winning chips forward. The cat with the canary, he was. "Sure thing. The more money I make, the better."

Chat nodded and pulled out a new deck to shuffle once more. Again he kept up a high speed except when talking to the akuma."So, there a reason you need so much cash, Sir? In debt and owe money to a scary lot? Have hospital bills to pay for dear old dad? Always been on the lower end of the financial world? Or did you lose your gran's allowance to the House?"

Ladybug blinked several times at her companion's hands as he spoke. The akuma's attention was on Chat's half-hidden face and visible smile, not the cards in his hands. He didn't seem to care what the dealer was doing, despite the prying questions. He had luck on his side. Luck would always win.

But Ladybug knew otherwise... Chat wasn't just shuffling the cards...he was arranging them. He was cheating!

...And he made it look so effortless and inconspicuous.

'I'll have to remember never to play poker with that sly cat.'

"Something along those lines. I bet money I shouldn't have, but now I'll get it back. I'll get them both back."

Chat leaned back. "Well, today might be your lucky day, Monsieur."

"You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I do."

As the cards were dealt out and the hand played, Ladybug snuck her way up behind the akuma. She'd have to go about this carefully. Best to go for the easiest grabs first. The four-leaf clover wouldn't be felt if lifted so long as she didn't knock off his hat or let him see her shadow. She might even be able to rip it in two if she was careful enough. Her partner showed no signs of noticing her, not wanting to tip off the akuma. He kept the guy distracted with banter whenever it looked like Ladybug was about to touch him on accident.

Finally, she ripped off two of the leaves from the small plant, but no butterfly flew out. A little disappointed it wasn't the easiest one—it never is—Ladybug crouched down to get the rabbit's foot next. She made a face of concentration that slowly became a little goofier the closer she got to pulling the animal foot out. His pants were tight, and she didn't want to tip him off just yet.

Without warning, Doctor Lucky slammed his fists onto the table, making Ladybug jump in surprise. "You cheated!"

"Aww, don't get mad. You should know by now, the house always wins," Chat mocked. This angered Doctor Lucky to no end.

The akuma, stood, knocking his chair back in the process. Ladybug yelped as the chair hit her and she lost her hold on the rabbit's foot. "Ladybug!?" The akuma gasped, and as expected, not a second later, a butterfly outline appeared on his face.

"It was a trap! Quick, steal their luck so you can steal their Miraculous!"

Doctor Lucky brandished his cane, swinging it at the fallen hero while she was at a disadvantage. Ladybug yanked the chair back in front of her to block the hit and whatever luck-sucking power it possessed. The three other civilians bolted for the nearest exit, leaving the room clear of possible fatalities.

The akuma waisted no time in attacking with his other hand.

"Hey, over here!" Chat Noir cried out, swinging his own fancy stick to allow his lady to escape. The disguise he had on earlier had been quickly removed when their cover was blown.

Doctor Lucky blocked the attack with ease though he couldn't push the cat back.

"Ugh. What terrible luck to happen upon one such as you," the akuma made a sour face to the male hero.

"HEY! I take offense to that," he quipped and swung his baton at the man's side, ready to make a flurry of hits.

Chat used the tables and slot machines as platforms to jump off from, giving him some sharp turns and a few extra shots. Many were dodged much to the hero's annoyance. With the lighter hits getting him nowhere, Chat dodged the man's own swing and darted behind him. Twisting his body, he threw all of his force into a batter swing to the man's head.

A loud clang echoed through the large room as Chat's baton vibrated painfully in his hands. The shockwave traveled up his arms and down his spine and legs like some uncomfortable domino effect on his nerves.

Held tightly in Doctor Lucky's hand was an iron horseshoe and unlike Chat's staff, it did not vibrate painfully.

The cane was not his best weapon, apparently. The horseshoe struck harder than the cane and each block or strike made against Chat Noir's staff made the kitty's hands shake and weaken. The grip on his staff loosened in response.

"Enough horsing around!" the superhero yelled before he lunged at the man from above.

Doctor Lucky parried and used the bend in the shoe to hook around Chat Noir's belt. A curse hardly left the boy's lips before he was thrown across the room into one of the slot machines which puked out a bunch of coins to the sounds of dings and whistles. Chat slid off and gracefully landed on the back of his neck and upper shoulders, butt up in the air. He let out a pitiful groan.

"Now to

finish you off," Doctor Lucky smirked and raised the horseshoe to throw.

A yo-yo wrapped around his hand, pulling it back. "Forgetting someone?"

Doctor Lucky quickly ducked Ladybug's flying kick as the two began their own fight. Her own yo-yo might have been repelled by the iron shoe, but unlike her partner, she suffered no penalties to it. Within their hand-to-hand combat, Ladybug used her yo-yo to pick up stools chairs, and even smaller tables to toss at the man. Most of her ammunition was smashed to pieces with the horseshoe and soon she was running out.

His foot slid across the floor, knocking her feet out from under her.

"WAH!"

He flicked his fingers and the razor sharp teeth on his bracelet slipped into his hand like magic. With another flick of the wrist, those same teeth were thrown at the downed bug. Ladybug flipped back barely avoiding the projectiles. She leaped back onto a card table where her yo-yo shielded her from the onslaught of razor-sharp teeth he never seemed to run out of.

Doctor Lucky rushed forward and raised his cane up to attack but it was a fake-out. He kicked the table before he spun on his heel and threw the horseshoe. Ladybug lost her balance when the table slid across the floor. A heavy and hard object hit her hand with such force to throw her back against the wall. She grunted at the impact. A bit of dust fell from above and she looked up to her dominant hand now pinned in the horseshoe. Its iron legs impeded into the cracked stone wall.

A shadow loomed over her and as she jerked her head around, something solid connected with her chest. The glass topper on the akuma's staff turned a reddish pink before returning to its purple-black hue.

"Marvelous! I feel like I've got all the luck in the world, now!" Doctor Lucky's laugh came out sharp and cold.

Back in Hawkmoth's lair, the villain was silently cheering for his latest akuma. "How does it feel to finally be stepped on, Ladybug? I've waited so long for this day. Now, my akuma, grab her miraculous before that pesky-"

Chat's baton came swinging from behind, but unlike before, the akuma had to only sidestep each swing. The man just seemed to know exactly where to step to get out of the way of his baton. He wasn't putting in much effort in dodging, but any object he moved in-between him and Chat Noir proved more than effective at keeping the angry cat at bay. Stools became painful objects to trip on, tables made the funny bone not so funny, and even the metal marbles from the roulette table caused the hero to slip and fall on his ass. A flick of the akuma's wrist had Chat high-tailing it out of the way as several sharp animal teeth punctured the ground he had been moments before.

His poor lady was having an even worse time.

Despite having been touched her with his cane, the heroine didn't feel any different. Not physically, at least. While Chat kept the akuma busy, Ladybug switched the ring of her yo-yo to the other hand and attempted to throw her yo-yo at one of the chandeliers. Each attempt seemed worse than the last with her aim going way off, and at one point, almost falling onto her partner's head.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!"

Finally, it latched onto a chandelier. Unfortunately he decorative lighting had other plans as she pushed off against the wall with her feet and pulled on the fixture with her yo-yo. It crashed into the ground the moment she was airborne. Crystals shattered upon impact and Ladybug felt her insides lurch up as she fell back-first into the corner of a table.

Chat Noir yelped in pain as he was pushed up against the roulette wheel. The pain only intensified when he felt the man's foot press against his neck, choking him. Chat made a mad grab for the man's leg, but only his left hand made it as Doctor Lucky's cane stamped down into the younger male's wrist, twisting roughly. Chat hissed angrily; about the only sound he could make, other than a gag or gasp.

Hawkmoth's purple outline framed Doctor Lucky's face. "Quick! Grab his Miraculous before this chance is lost!"

"This was no "chance." It was all luck," Doctor lucky quipped, his eyes flickering down to Chat's "I've no interest in your luck, but I will be taking that ring of yours." He reached down for the hero's ring.

Chat dug his claws into the man's leg for a better grip and he pushed hard, allowing some breathing room, despite the man's full weight on him.

"Guess again!" he rasped out. "CATACLYSM!" The dark bubbling aura appeared within his hand and he bent his fingers down to sink the few claws he could into the cane that pinned his hand.

"NO!"

The effect was instantaneous as the tool turned to dust before the akuma's eyes. No dark butterfly flew out from its remains, however.

With both hands now free, Chat threw a punch into the side of the man's knee which gave out. Doctor Lucky fell back with a yelp, clutching his leg. The captive now free to move about, he gasped for air and rolled under the nearest table to get some protection between him and the akuma.

Ladybug rubbed her sore back and switched to her dominant hand again as she ran around the broken shards of glass from the fallen chandelier. Not wanting Doctor Lucky to have another go at her kitty while he was recovering, she swung herself up and over to the akuma victim, forcing him onto the defensive

Chat finally recovered from his earlier knockout and joined in as both heroes fought to take the man down. Frustrated with their constant assaults, the akuma began throwing the shoes around the room with more force than needed. There were four in total. The iron hooks slammed through walls and tables and everything else that stood in their way. They acted like boomerangs, loyally returning to their owner. The structure of the room weakened as bits of smaller rubble fell.

While his horseshoes flew about the room, Doctor Lucky switched back to the teeth and aimed a sneak shot at Chat who was too busy deflecting a rogue horseshoe.

"Chat!"

On instinct, Chat jumped away taking Ladybug with him. He hissed in pain and placed a hand over the side of his exposed neck. A streak of blood oozed out from a shallow cut.

"Well, that was close."

"Too close," Ladybug scolded as she found her way to him "Be more careful."

He shrugged and gave her a pleasant grin, "What can I say, I live for danger."

"Not if you're dead," she countered, unimpressed.

The two jumped out of the way in unison as part of the ceiling fell down; the earlier destruction having a hand to play, but not as much as the effect Ladybugs luck had. Dodging some of the larger debris, Ladybug failed to spot a nearby, fallen stool and caught her foot in it. With a yelp of surprise, she fell only to face-plant into the carpet with a surprised squeak. As Marinette, it was a familiar venture, but as Ladybug, it was unusual.

She should have been more careful. More graceful.

Looks like even her luck really had run out as a large chunk of the ceiling fell towards her.

"LADYBUG!" Chat tackled her out of the way, narrowly missing the heavy mass that kicked up dust around them. His tail hadn't been so lucky, sending an unpleasant shiver up his spine. Chat gave it a good yank till it was free. "I'd be a real shame if you got squished, my Lady."

"Chat, my luck is-"

"Yeah, I know." He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, ignoring the angelic voice of protest. His ring let out another beep. Two minutes. He bolted for a set of double doors he hadn't seen earlier with the crowd. A sign next to it said employee's only. Not even bothering to check if it was unlocked, he slammed into it, busting the lock and took off down the hall. "Looks like your Madly Clumsy again."

They moved through the area, looking for a safer place to come up with a plan. It was a good thing the cameras were down. They didn't need to media to tell them how bad they were loosing. It wasn't often they fought an akuma who actually knew how to fight.

Ladybug let out a huff at the name she first introduced herself as. "I'd rather not be."

"But that clumsy side of you was pretty cute, Bugaboo."

Her cheeks felt warm. The memory of his description of Ladybug in her room surfaced only to be quickly shoved into a dark closet with a big lock. "I told you to stop calling me that, Chaton."

"Purrhaps you should start using other cute pet names to get back at me, then."

"I do. Idiot, flirt, dummy, dork." She listed off jokingly. "If you want, I can come up with more."

"No, no. I'll take Chaton, any day, thank you."

"Suit yourself, Kitty."

They hid in what looked to be a break-room. Ladybug guarded the door, her back to partner as his ring let out a final beep before his transformation dropped. She strained her ears, listening for the akuma's approach but the only thing she could ear was Chat rummaging through the fridge while his kwami complained about cheese in a nasal voice.

"There is no Camembert, Plagg. Just Swiss and American. We don't have time for you to be picky."

Well, that explained why Chat Noir sometimes smelled faintly of stinky cheese.

"It's not my fault people have no taste in what cheese they put on their sandwiches." The tiny god made a loud noise as he took a bite. He seemed to be chewing as loudly as he could just to spite his chosen.

Ladybug chuckled at the other kwami. He was certainly different from what she expected. Total opposite from Tikki, it seemed.

"You done?"

"In a rush to get your butt kicked again?"

"Tch!" No retort came to mind as Plagg had been pretty accurate about their situation. "Plagg, claws out!"

"W-wait! I was kidding! I'm still hung-!" The rest of his words were cut off as he was sucked into the ring and a green flash appeared behind her.

Ladybug turned around to see Chat giving his ring a reproachful look. "Don't worry, Kitty. We might be down, but we're not out yet. Besides, there's no way the

great Ladybug and Chat Noir could be beaten so easily.

Acid eyes flickered to her and he smirked. "But of course, my Lady."


	10. Ch 10: Luck be a Lady (Part 2)

Sup everyone! Finally got this chapter and the fight with DL finished. It took me a while to think up what the lucky item would be, but I knew for a while what the doctor's weakness and an eventual loss would entail. I hope you guys will like this. Plus I can now get back into the MariChat fluff you guys know you love. Though I am curious if there's anything you guys want to see in later chapters. If you have something or if you want to give your opinion on this chapter and the overall story, leave a review. I do love reading them as they help me figure out what to improve on, what to continue doing, and whether or not the story is worth continuing.

OH! and before I forget, I've been thinking of one more akuma to slip into a later chapter. Consider it a sneak peek at the next big akuma fight (not counting any "between timeskip" fights. I've actually got a lot of akuma power/theme ideas, but most will be in other fanfics (including one I'm working on involving the Grimm fairytales and Manon's teacher) Anyway, I came up with him while listening to a certain Disney song. I'll give you a hint. He's got many friends, loves tourists, and is a man hoodoo voodoo. :3

Okay, the pun was probably overdoing it, but I couldn't help myself. Just a heads up, though. This guy isn't going to be as nice as those Disney villains, though. Think the shadow man's power mixed with Scar's cunning patience, and Shere Khan's morals. And I mean the Shere Khan from the live action Jungle Book. Yeah... let that sink in. Thoughts?

 **Observation**

 **Chapter 10: Luck be a Lady (Part 2)**

* * *

Not out, but still down, it seemed. Doctor Lucky hadn't left the casino room as they had found out upon reentering. Engaging him in another fight had proven just as difficult as before with his astounding accuracy and impossible dodging prowess. But no sooner had they began round two when Chat Noir went on the offense while Ladybug fell back to give herself the opportunity they needed.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo up into the air above her, "Lucky Charm!" What fell down was about as helpful as most of her lucky charms. Well, maybe a little less than helpful. "A banana?"

She looked around but her visual ability didn't work as it normally did, an effect of Doctor Lucky's luck stealing power. All that was around the bar were a bunch of high tables, stools, a fully stocked bar, mirrors, and some leftover meals and drinks from the people who fled.

Her partner landed nearby hoping to hear what the plan would be. Ladybug turned to Chat for any ideas; he usually had a few comments to give about her items. ..Some not so helpful.

The male hero only shrugged after sparing a quick glance at the item before deflecting one of the flying horseshoes. "Unless that's a new type of boomerang or you're recreating Mario Cart, I've got nothing. But hey, sometimes bad luck is just good luck in disguise. I'm sure you'll find something to use that on."

"Hmm," Ladybug looked around once more before looking back to her partner, a sly smile in place. "I think you may have given me an idea."

Chat leaned onto his extended baton with his own playful smile. "It's one of my many perks."

"You know what they say about black cats, and broken mirrors, right?"

After blinking twice, his playful smile became just as sly and wicked as hers. "Oh. I'm way ahead of you, Bugaboo."

Doctor Lucky laughed at the sight of Ladybug's new 'weapon.' "A banana!? You hope to defeat me with a banana!? HAHA! You must really be down on your luck!"

Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes at the vision before him and his akuma's overconfidence. "Don't let your guard down, Doctor Lucky," he warned, waving his cane about. "She has done more with less and I'd hate for you to be another failure."

"Don't worry, Hawkmoth. I'm the luckiest man in the world right now. And with a little more luck, I'll truly be untouchable!"

"Sorry, buddy, but the only luck you'll be getting from down on is bad luck!"

Chat jumped at him but was easily sidestepped. Yet before the akuma could move to his new spot, Chat pushed off against the table had just landed on and ran in front of the akuma, passing him.

"Whoops. Looks like a black cat just crossed your path. How much bad luck is that? A day? A week?"

"Gyah!" Doctor lucky wrenched back as Chat began to cross every path the akuma tried to take. "Stop that!"

Chat, of course, didn't listen. Only when the akuma actually slipped on some fallen casino chips did he change tactics. He leaped back onto the bar, turned around gave the man a raspberry along with wiggling hand ears "Lucky my ass. I bet you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. No wonder whoever you were with left you. A gambler down on his luck and losing everything. Such a sad and predictable tale"

"Y-YOU!" the akuma roared.

The doctor's temper and patience were beyond stretched as he tried to even form words or insults. He couldn't even hear Hawkmoth's warning about Ladybug's sudden disappearance in the room. And he certainly didn't consider his surroundings when he threw his horseshoe as hard as he could at that annoying wretch of a cat. The one thing hid did notice was the Cheshire grin sent his way before the leather-clad hero took a dramatic step off to the side with his hands folded behind his back. A resounding crash filled the room from broken glass. Large and small shards alike fell to the ground, reflecting whatever surrounding they faced with crystal clear accuracy. All the color drained from Doctor Lucky's face.

Chat whistled in amazement. "Wow! Breaking a mirror. That's what...? Seven years bad luck? Yikes. I'd hate to be in your shoes right now."

The akuma was just flabbergast for a good minute as an overwhelming sense of dread took him. A foreboding he couldn't predict. His luck...all of it...was gone. The doctor pointed an accusing finger at the young teen. "Yo-...th-this is all your fault! You'll pay for that!"

He charged forward, ready to clobber the boy with his other horseshoe when something yellow floated below his vision. He had no time to stop himself, but just enough time to look. In one quick motion, his feet were up in the air and his head was crashing down onto the floor.

Ladybug vaulted out from under the table and onto the fallen akuma before he could recover. He struggled to push her off before succeeding, only to realize too late that she had taken his lucky rabbit's foot with her.

"NO!"

"Your lucks run out," she said before the charm was snapped in half. A purple butterfly escaped, making a beeline for the exit, but in one swift motion, a blinding white yo-yo captured it. Ladybug's finger traced down the center, which opened, and the once corrupt bug flew off. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."

Behind her, chat walked up, his baton propped behind his head and along his shoulders. "Wow. I didn't think that would actually work" He bent down to pick up the destroyed banana peel in case his Lady also slipped on it.

His partner giggled, "I've tripped over lesser things."

"It must be because you're always falling for me." The flirt.

She only snorted. "You wish, Kitty."

Chat held up his fist with a broad smile. "Pound it?"

"Pound it," she said, returning the smile and fist bump.

Dr. Lucky had returned to the normal, non-super villain man he was. Given that they had plenty of time before she detransformed, Ladybug decided to try and help the poor man with whatever had set him off.

Assuming she could help.

"What...what happened?" he asked, rubbing his head and trying to shake off the haze. "How'd I get here?"

Chat came over and helped him up, clearly having the same idea as his lady. "You had the misfortune of being Hawkmoth's lucky chosen. But don't worry. We kicked ass and stopped you from hurting anyone."

"Oh...," was all the man said before a downcast look was directed to his feet. One of his hands reached into his pocket where he pulled out several pieces of paper. His frown deepened and he let his hand drop with the tickets.

Ladybug approached them to see what the papers were and to ask about what he remembered from before when her feet suddenly moved out from beneath her. She yelped and fell flat on her ass.

"My Lady, are you okay!?"

"I-I'm fine. I guess destroying the akuma item didn't get rid of the bad luck," she winced as she slowly got to her feet. "Where's my Lucky Charm?" she asked, now remembering she hadn't used Miraculous Ladybug yet.

"Right here," Chat offered the slippery peel which was then thrown up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

In a swirling wave of ladybugs, everything was returned to normal, including everyone's luck. The heroine sighed in relief and took a closer look at the papers once more.

"Scratch cards, huh?"

The man sighed, defeated. "Yeah. My fiance told me that if I lost this time, she would leave me. ...She's pregnant with our first child. The money I spent on tickets was supposed to go to our child's future. I just...I just wanted our little girl to have a better future than I did. I want her to be able to have the things she really wants. To go to college. To be able to be whatever she wants to be as an adult without having the restrictions of where she can study because of cost... But I lost."

Ladybug's eyes fell back down to the tickets in his hand as her earrings beeped once. "But...these tickets haven't been scratched yet."

The man gave her a confused look before looking at the tickets himself. They were indeed, unscratched. He sighed, with dead eyes. "What's it matter. I know the results. I'm done with it all." He sighed and threw them onto the nearest table as he headed out of the room.

Ladybug bit her lip and looked between the man and the cards.

"Chat can you find me a chip real quick?"

"But of course."

The male checked around them as his Lady picked up the cards. He handed her one of the plastic chips and watched her work.

She held out a card for him. "Wanna try your luck?"

Chat Noir grimaced. "I don't think that's wise after today. Being a black cat and all."

She made a face at him but resumed her work. He knelt down at the table, folding his arms along it and resting his head to watch her more closely. Her tongue stuck out, pinched between her teeth in concentration, perhaps unaware of her own expression. It was cute.

Chat whistled at the numbers printed on the ticket when she was done. His partner confidently walked out of the room with him in tow, tickets in hand.

The akuma victim was at the front desk, apologizing to the staff for whatever disruption and damage he may have caused. Ladybug walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"You know...my Miraculous Ladybug power fixes things 100%," she explained. "But sometimes, it gives an extra 10% every now and then." Ladybug held out the tickets once more. "I think these belong to you."

Still unwilling but compliant, the man finally looked down at the square pieces of paper. The moment was not instantaneous as it took him several moments for his brain to comprehend what he was looking at. At the numbers... at the number of zeros! His jaw dropped and he reached out almost hesitantly with both hands to grab the card.

"This...this..."

"All yours," she explained, excited.

"Th-this...this is..."

Chat leaned over to her, to whisper, "I think you broke him, M'Lady."

She chuckled, "He'll be fine. And I think he's learned his lesson about testing his luck." Her earrings beeped again. "Looks like I gotta go, though. Bug out!"

Ladybug ran to the door but stopped before opening it. She turned to face him. "Just for future reference, I've never believed black cats were unlucky. It's just a silly superstition. Besides, there's plenty of people and cultures who believe black cats are actually lucky, and I'm one of them"

Chat Noir stepped outside to watch her leave across the rooftops of Paris. The loving smile he usually had for Ladybug in place. "I suppose I am lucky...to have someone like you by my side, M'Lady."

* * *

Back in Hawkmoth's dark dome, a man fumed. The grip he had on his cane shook in anger and he threw about another fist through the air in a fit of rage. "I was so close! Ladybug should have been easy to pick off without her luck. As long as those two are together, accomplishing my goal will take far too long! Just you wait, Ladybug! Someday soon you will suffer the same pain I have. Be it before or after, I WILL have your Miraculous!"


	11. Ch 11: An Offer of Kindness

**Observation**

Sorry it took so long. I've taken a leave of absense from work to clean up the house while my mom was away on vacation. It's for 2 weeks, but I'll be working at my other job this week, which I now regret (mostly because I was really sick yesterday and had trouble standing). I did finish a digital drawing I did for Miraculous that is on my deviant art account, Alice5130 (as well as Amino. Yes, I finally got the app). The picture is called Holliday Patrol.

In this chapter, I'm bringing back things that were mentioned in previous chapters, so there will be progress in the next two or three chapters.

ANYWAY, I'm super excited for the newest Miraculous episode coming out today! ...Unless they change the date again.

* * *

 **Ch 11: An Offer of Kindness**

It had been almost four days since the interview with Alya and although the blogger had gushed over the footage, she had yet to show Marinette. She also hadn't put it up onto the Ladyblog yet. Apparently the video needed some editing and would be put up after Alya had finished setting up "Chat's Chat." Marinette could only guess who had given her that idea for a title.

Still, it was a tad concerning Alya hadn't shown her any of the footage yet, despite being best friends. More-so when Alya sent her some smug look every time the subject was brought up. Having been one of the interviewed individuals and knowing what had happened, she was more suspicious of Chat's interview. Especially given his persistence at revealing her crush. Hopefully Alya hadn't taken his interest in the designer the wrong way.

Marinette also hadn't seen Chat around since then as there hadn't been any akuma attacks, serious crimes, or devastating accidents that would require a superhero or two. With such peace, it meant only solo patrols. This meant asking him about his interview was unlikely unless she went out of her way to call him during his patrol and that was too much effort for some silly worry.

School had been normal as usual, with the constant presence of Lila during lunch period, a surprise considering Adrien had missed one or two lunch periods due to a photo shoot. It was a shame Marinette couldn't see more of him on a regular basis. His schedule was picking up again though the occasional free period was marked on his schedule.

Thanks to a suggestion from Alya, Marinette was planning on asking Adrien if he and Nino would like to go with them to the new mall. It would be like a double date that wasn't a date. And with Nino's birthday coming up, it would be an even better excuse for Adrien to go with her to help pick out a gift while Alya distracts her boyfriend. It was perfect! She knew he had Friday and Saturday free. So if his father let him, he'd probably say yes.

There was just one problem, though.

Lila had been constantly hanging round them at any chance she got., popping up out of nowhere Before school, in the locker room, during class, during lunch, and after school. As okay as she was at the idea of hanging out with the girl, Marinette didn't want her to interfere with her possible alone-time with Adrien. Especially since Lila liked Adrien and was unaware Marinette felt the same.

It seemed as though the only chance she'd get to talk to Adrien would be by pure luck. But never fear, Alya was always there to rescue her from certain doom after class Thursday afternoon. Before the brunet could get up from her seat, Alya had already glued herself to the Spanish girl's side to question her for the school's blog.

Chloe was too busy to harass anyone thanks to some hair appointment she had because of a crisis with one split end. She had bolted out the door the second the bell had rung, which meant there were no more obstacles before Marinette other than herself.

She turned her head over to Adrien, only to find him gone. Slightly panicked, she looked around and spotted him heading down the stairs in a hurry. Marinette jumped up and ran after him. Again she couldn't spot him and aimed to go to the locker room, hoping he was there when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the stairs. The girl shrieked before a hand was placed over her mouth so as not to attract the attention of the students filing out of class.

"Sorry for startling you, Marinette," her kidnapper lowered their hand.

That godly voice! "A-Adr-" again a hand was placed over her mouth and a finger placed over his.

Marinette could hear her heart pounding from the contact. She was technically kissing his hand! Above them, someone's rushed footsteps thundered down the stairs and Marinette could see the back of Lila hurrying to the locker rooms.

Adrien sighed and removed his hand. "Sorry about that. I've been trying to get a moment alone from her and Chloe."

So she wasn't the only one annoyed by Lila's constantly appearing out of thin air. The girl bit her bottom lip, unsure how to console him with his predicament. That's when she remembered why she was looking for him herself.

"Oh, I wanted to ask-?" "I was wondering if you-?" they spoke at the same time.

Both teens stopped and stared at each other before chuckling. "You first, Marinette."

She would have protested, but not knowing how much time she had alone with him, she chose not to argue. "I-I was wondering if you would like to go to the mall with me either tomorrow or Saturday. ...A-and Alya and N-Nino! A-as a group! Not a date! Not that it can't be a date. I-I mean if you want it to be, it can be. N-not that I'm suggesting it is!"

Adrien laughed at how cute she could be. "A group date to the mall on Saturday sounds awesome. Do you need a ride? I live close to the school."

YES! He wanted to go with her! Or them. And it was a date! Well, not a date-date. More like a group-of-friends-hanging-out-date. "I'd be happy ride you..." she said, dreamily. "Get a ride! I mean, I'd be happy if I could get a ride!"

Adrien snickered, his cheeks a little red from her unintentional wording. "Cool! See you later, then," he patted her on the shoulder and turned to leave but stopped when he felt a slight tug on his jacket.

"E-earlier you seemed to want to ask me something?"

"Oh, that..." he paused, thinking. Marinette couldn't quite read his expression. "There were a few things I wanted to ask you, but I can ask at the mall."

* * *

Later that evening, Marinette was busy designing some summer dresses when a knock at her window broke her concentration. Tikki hid inside one of her drawers while the designer headed up to open her balcony window.

Unsurprisingly, her visitor was Chat Noir. Though why he was here, she'd have to wait to find out.

"Good evening, Princess. Hope I'm not disturbing you," he greeted with a bow.

Marinette climbed out with his helping hand. "Not at all. So to what do I owe the pleasure of one of Paris's heroes?"

Chat seemed to hesitate at the question. "Ah, that. I... I mean, has...um..."

Not missing her chance at teasing him, Marinette smirked and crossed her arms, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

That seemed to break whatever worry the superhero had as he let out a loud snort. "I suppose I got my own tongue, yes." He seemed to think twice about asking her whatever it was he had come to ask. Instead, he took on a playful smile, "You know, last time I visited, I spotted a familiar set of dolls. They're pretty valued, especially among the most fiercest of akuma."

This time it was Marinette's turn to snort. "Oh yes. The fiercest being those under four feet."

"Yes, very fierce," he agreed. "Anyway, I had been wondering for some time if I might be able to get you to make one for me. Of Ladybug, to be exact. I'll happily pay you for it, of course."

Marinette leaned against the railing and let out a hum. "You don't need to pay me."

"But-"

"Consider it as a thank-you gift for always being there for this city and for Ladybug."

He smiled, "Thank you, Princess."

"You're welcome, Chat. I'll try to get it done by Sunday if that's good with you."

"Sunday would be purrfect. If it's not too much trouble, of course."

"No trouble at all. Was there anything else you wanted to ask?" Marinette wasn't trying to shoo him along or anything. He just seemed bothered by something and she doubted it had to do with the dolls.

Claws scratched the back of his neck, a recognizable sign that he was nervous. In the dim lighting from her window, Marinette could have sworn Chat was blushing. It was hard to tell with his mask. "Actually...there was...is. Um...your friend Alya. She...hasn't mentioned anything about the interview to you, has she?"

Marinette stilled as her mind processed his question. Her senses focused on his behavior, studying him. "No, not really. ...Why?" Had he said something he shouldn't? Had Alya? Did he know who she liked?

"O-oh, that's goo-er, I mean, a sh-shame. I was hoping the interviews would be up by now. That's all."

If that was really all, then she had been worrying for nothing. The girl visibly relaxed. "She's waiting to get your blog up. I assume Chat's Chat was your influence?"

"I had been thinking of Snap Chat, but I didn't want to chance being sued over a pun. So I went with something more original but still punny. I mean seriously, who could ever out-pun me?"

A smirk tugged at the brunette's lips. "My dad."

Chat gasped dramatically. "Your dad puns!?"

"Yep! Bread puns are his forte. He'd give even you a run for your money if you get him started. I love his jokes and puns, even if some of them are bad."

"You...you love puns?"

"In moderation, yes. I mostly enjoy the subtle ones."

Chat suddenly took her hand and knelt down in front of her like he were proposing. His other hand covered his heart. "Princess, next to Ladybug you are now the second most amazing girl I've ever met."

A blush creeped up her face and she looked away, taking her hand back. "You must not have met many girls, then, if you think I'm amazing."

He tilted his head. "Why don't you think you're amazing?" Was it because she was shy and humble? This wasn't his first time thinking she was amazing or vocalizing it to her as Adrien.

Marinette just shrugged. "It's not that I can't be amazing when I need to be. It's just...I have my good days, my bad days, and my total screw up days. And boy do I screw up." her head hung low. "Every time I try to talk to A-th-the boy I like, things go wrong." Chat's lips formed a thin line but he remained quiet as she continued. "Usually it's my fault. I say or do something stupid. Not to mention I'm such a n "amazing" klutz. He probably thinks I'm a weirdo but is too nice to say anything about it."

"I could help you, you know?" he offered, stepping closer to her

"Huh?" Marinette turned to look at him. "Help? With what?"

He was less than a foot away from her; a distance he was painfully aware of. The sweetness of her scent, a mix of perfume and pastries. Though no part of them touched, he could still feel the warmth of her body radiating off of her. In the dim lighting, he could still make out the color of her eyes and the redness in her cheeks. His sharp eyes could see every flicker in her own and the steady rise and fall of her chest before she sharply inhaled, holding her breath.

But she wasn't holding it all the way in. No... Her breath came out shallow and warm, through parted lips. Parted, pink lips that looked very soft.

Very tasty...

Her warm breath tickled his face

Marinette's sweet voice barely came as a whisper, "Ch-Chat?"

Chat's eyes widened and he quickly took a big step back, "Expressing yourself!"

His voice almost cracked when he spoke. In an effort to save some face, he turned around and strut over to the other side of the balcony as if he owned it. The first hidden chance he had, he slid his bell down a bit to alleviate some of the heat under his collar. Now he just had to stall until his cheeks cooled down.

"You want to be able to t-talk to him, right? They say practice makes perfect; well, you can practice with me. I can give you pointers on staying calm, and maybe even help with your balancing issue."

Marinette fanned herself to try and cool off from whatever had happened...or hadn't happened. Nothing happened! Nothing was going to happen because there was nothing to happen! "I'd appreciate any help, but I can't impose on your time. I'm sure you have a busy schedule, in and out of the suit."

Chat leaned against the opposite railing, still too embarrassed to face her directly, "I'd be no trouble if it's in the late evenings around the weekend. If anything, it would actually give me something to do at night besides the occasional patrol."

Marinette thought about it for a moment as she watched him. His shoulder's looked stiff and with every noise she made, his ears and tail would twitch. She inwardly laughed at her kitty, _'He's embarrassed. I guess even he can show some modesty for his actions.'_

"Alright then. If it's just one day a week so as not to wear you out from being up all hours of the night, I'll accept your offer. Would fridays work?"

The hero in black spun on his heel, "Great! Fridays will be just fine. Now for the payment!"

"P-payment!? What payment?"

He tut-tutted her, wagging his finger. "Now, now, Princess, you didn't think I was offering this out of the kindness of my own heart, did you?"

Chat was a damn devil in disguise!

* * *

I was going to make this chapter a bit longer to include their reactions after they were alone at home, but I wanted to be evil-I mean, amp up the suspense with another cliffhanger. Nothing too big, but it'll be something for you to guess on. Sorry there's no preview for the next chapter. Ive only got a few paragraphs written for chapter 12.

Please review and tell me what you think (or hope) he's going to ask for.


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